Gulf peace mission draws positive note from Tehran

A nonaligned mission seeking an end to the seven-month-old Gulf war suggested ways to end the conflict, and Iran responded with its most positive assessment of peace efforts in nearly a month.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman called the suggestions "encouraging and worth considering." But at the same time, Iranian state radio said that Iran should not negotiate with Iraq.

The mission includes the foreign ministers of Cuba, India, and Zambia and the chief foreign affairs expert of the Palestine Liberation Organization. It was appointed by a conference of nonaligned foreign ministers in New Delhi in February and first visited Iran and Iraq a month ago .