Spokesman Dismisses Saudi View on ‘New’ Iran Deal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the Saudi top diplomat’s remarks about a new deal with Iran in place of the 2015 nuclear accord, stressing that the JCPOA has already been negotiated and concluded, and advising Riyadh to stop relying on foreigners for addressing regional issues.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh dismissed the recent comments from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, saying it’s a pity that Riyadh still lacks the courage to hold regional talks without considering the views of the extra-regional and interventionist powers.
“It is deplorable that Riyadh’s view is still focused on the capitals outside the region, and this is the biggest obstacle to the region reaching a local and intra-regional mechanism,” he said.
Khatibzadeh also denounced Saudi Arabia’s stances on the 2015 nuclear deal and its destructive measures when the JCPOA was being negotiated, reminding Faisal bin Farhan that the nuclear deal has been hammered out, signed, and finished.
“We advise Saudi Arabia to join the course of intra-regional negotiations and distance itself from the path of rebellion” it is experiencing today, he added. “In that case, the region will surely embrace Saudi Arabia.”
The Iranian spokesman’s comments came after the Saudi foreign minister pointed to an upcoming meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in a recent interview, saying Riyadh had been given assurances that any new deal would be more demanding of Iran when it comes to its ballistic missile capabilities and what he called Tehran’s support for armed groups in the region.
The Saudi diplomat also accused Iran of causing regional instability, saying, “We are confident the international community will work hard to ensure that the deficiencies in the (2015 nuclear deal) are eventually addressed.”