Iran Says EU Sanctions To Damage Nuclear Talks

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says the European Union (EU) sanctions on Iran’s oil exports will damage talks between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group.

Mehmanparast said that negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany would produce desired results only if an ambiance of cooperation and pragmatism is created between the two sides.

He added that unilateral sanctions against Iran will have a negative impact on reaching an acceptable resolution.

Mehmanparast further stated that the EU is trying to deviate world public opinion from its internal woes by means of imposing an embargo on Iranian oil, which will take effect from July 1.

He noted that any EU-engineered measure against Iran’s national interests will project a negative image among Iranians and European nations.

Mehmanparast highlighted that EU sanctions against Iran will both hurt talks between Iran and the P5+1 group, and aggravate the economic and social problems in European countries.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman also said Western countries are violating the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“This treaty (NPT) stresses the three main principles of nuclear disarmament, prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and observing peaceful nuclear rights of member states and all these cases have been violated by the global hegemony and arrogant powers,” Mehmanparast said.

He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to the treaty, but many in the West including the United States and Israel, are violating it.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear energy program, the spokesman said Western powers are aware of the peaceful nature of Tehran’s program because Iran has agreed to all NPT’s articles and it is working based on them.

He said world powers use the nuclear energy program as a pretext to put pressure on Iran.

Mehmanparast also referred to a religious decree issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, which bans the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has also warned against any military action targeting Syria, stressing that such foreign intervention would compromise regional security.

Mehmanparast said any attempt by foreign countries to interfere in Syria militarily could jeopardize regional security, adding that the Syrian issue needs to be resolved “through the cooperation of influential countries” in the region.

Mehmanparast also described the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the occupied Palestinian territories as ‘natural.’

“As the president of Russia, Putin pursues the regional developments,” said the Iranian official, adding that the visit is believed to be aimed at reviewing regional development and finding a solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Mehmanparast also urged the cooperation of all influential countries to help resolve the Syrian crisis by facilitating the atmosphere of dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the opposition.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has also reiterated Tehran’s determination to hold Saudi officials accountable for executing some Iranian nationals in breach of international conventions.

Mehmanparast said that Iran cannot ignore the issue of the executions as “no country, neither Saudi Arabia nor any other state, has a right to treat our nationals this way. This is a very grave issue and we will pursue the subject legally and internationally.”

The senior Foreign Ministry official said Iran will dispatch a delegation of legal experts and diplomats from the ministry along with the lawyers of the executed and detained Iranians in Saudi Arabia “and the Saudi government must be answerable for its actions.”

“Mehmanparast further said that the Saudi officials’ ‘inhumane’ move ran counter to and flouted internationals norms as the Iranian sailors were denied consular access.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has also denounced the recent remarks by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal accusing Tehran of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.

“Infringing on all international rules and conventions, Saudi military forces have interfered in the internal affairs of their neighboring state and engage in repressing defenseless civilians,” Ramin Mehmanparast said.

Mehmanparast also denounced further remarks by the Saudi foreign minister regarding Iran’s negotiations with the P5+1.

“The nuclear policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the corresponding negotiations are pursued totally transparently, explicitly and seriously based on defending Iran’s nuclear rights,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has lashed out at the global hegemonic powers for manipulating the concept of democracy and human rights as a means for the achievement of their antagonistic objectives.

“Democracy is a beautiful and very sacred word which nowadays has turned into a tool in the hands of the bullying powers,” Mehmanparast said.

He expressed regret that the concept of democracy along with different provisions of human rights have become a tool for the US and Israeli officials to misuse in order to serve their own interests at different global levels.

“Now, the US and the West lend support to the countries which have not held a single series of election during their whole political life, but are the West’s allies and their rulers always enjoy the (US) support,” Mehmanparast noted.

This is while the West persists in its hostile approach towards Iran, despite the democratic structure of the Islamic Republic, he pointed out.

He also highlighted the importance of human rights as a “sacred and respectable” issue for all the world nations and stressed that the concept constitutes a principle of Iran’s foreign policy. He added that the best way to safeguard human rights is through adherence to the Islamic and divine teachings.

This is while throughout the history, the US and big powers have constantly violated one of the key principles of human rights by resorting to the weapons of mass destruction, Mehmanparast pointed out.

“In the contemporary world, those who claim to be the major advocates of human rights are its biggest abusers and they persist on doing so,” the foreign ministry spokesman pointed out.