Iran President Rouhani Tells North Korea That US Unreliable
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reminded North Korea of the US untrustworthy nature, saying Washington does not honor any promise.
In a Wednesday meeting with North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Tehran, Rouhani denounced the US’s unilateral withdrawal from international agreements like the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, “The US government’s behavior in these years have been such that today America is known in the world as an unreliable and untrustworthy country that does not honor any of its commitments.”
Hailing the common views of Iran and North Korea and their support for each other in international organizations in delicate junctures, Rouhani added, “In the current circumstances, friend countries should stand together by enhancing relations and promoting cooperation in international circles.”
For his part, the North Korean foreign minister touched on Tehran and Pyongyang’s common stances on various regional and international issues, saying North Korea’s “strategic policy” is to boost ties with Iran and counter unilateralism.
The senior diplomat also deplored the US exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran as a wrong move in defiance of international regulations.
Back in June, leaders of the US and North Korea held the first-ever summit in Singapore.
Following the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman denounced the US as an unreliable partner that must be dealt with vigilantly.
On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the JCPOA running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the Europeans.
