Iran Says It Offered to Storm Jet

LONDON —  Iran offered to storm the hijacked Kuwaiti jetliner after it was forced to land in northeastern Iran but Kuwait rejected the offer, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Javad Larijani said Tuesday.

Larijani, speaking at a news conference at the Iranian Embassy, said Iran had no alternative but to refuel the aircraft and allow it to leave Mashhad on Friday. It later landed at Larnaca, Cyprus.

He said the Kuwaiti authorities rejected the Iranian offer to storm the Boeing 747 “saying they are not going to take responsibility for the outcome of that operation.”

Asked what advice Kuwait gave, he said, “I should say, nothing. And we were afraid that the airplane would be blown up so we were forced to refuel it. It was against our wish. But this was the only thing we could do.”