Israel, Iran in rare exchange

Bitter enemies Iran and Israel engaged in a rare face-to-face exchange of views at a nuclear disarmament conference in Cairo, Israeli media reported yesterday.

Tehran denied the reported contact, but Israeli officials confirmed that representatives from both countries had questioned one another at a conference last month, organised by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.

Iran's delegate was reported to have asked the Israeli representative whether the Jewish state had nuclear weapons.The Israeli delegate didn't answer and then asked a question in return.