US, Not Iran, A Destabilizing Factor in Region: FM Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi rejected claims in a recent US congressional bill that Iran destabilized the region and sponsored terrorism, noting that it was the US actions in the Middle East that eventually created Daesh and destabilized the region.
American lawmakers accused Iran of destabilizing the region while the US government had played a key role in forming terrorist groups, including Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), by launching military aggression against Iraq, Qassemi said on Wednesday.
He added that the growing insecurity and extremism in the region were the results of “unwise and irresponsible” policies of the US and its allies in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives voted 419-3 in favor of a bill imposing new sanctions on Iran over its missile program and alleged destabilizing role in the Middle East.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile program is in accordance with Resolution 2231 and nothing can prevent Iran from pursuing and implementing its principled policy to boost defense capabilities,” Qassemi said.
The bill must pass the US Senate before it can be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to veto or sign into law.
The Iranian official said that if approved and implemented, the bill would undermine the successful implementation of the Iranian nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which he referred to as an international multilateral agreement.
Qassemi said that under the JCPOA, the US had obligations that needed to be fulfilled, stressing that the countries' rules and laws could not act as an excuse for governments to shirk their international responsibilities.
“Since the Islamic Republic of Iran has been fully committed to and fulfilled its obligations, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and admitted by the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), it expects other parties to the JCPOA , including the US government, to follow suit,” he said.
The spokesman added that the US bill was against the spirit and text of the JCPOA, stressing that Iran would reciprocate to ensure the interests of the country.
Iran and the six powers on July 14, 2015, reached a conclusion over the text of the JCPOA. The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation has been hampered mainly due to US policies.