FM Slams Europe’s Silence, Inaction on US’ Violations against Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – European countries are only facilitating the United States’ violations against Iran with their silence and inaction on Washington’s measures targeting Tehran, the Islamic Republic’s top diplomat said. .
Speaking in a meeting with Britain’s new Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s 76th Session in New York on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the European attitude was helping “the US administration keep enforcing its illegal sanctions (against Iran), while at the same time laying claim to seeking a return to the JCPOA.”
The United States started re-imposing the sanctions in 2018 after leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a historical nuclear accord between Iran and the P5+1 group of states—the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China plus Germany.
Besides bringing the draconian measures back, the US began forcing other countries to abide by the sanctions too. Europe has been doing just the same, besides refusing to take the smallest step to encourage Washington to roll back its own measures.
Iran has been given many words and promises alleging that the West intended to revisit its JCPOA approach, the Iranian top diplomat said. There, however, have been no actions, he added.
“Unfortunately, the UK has been part of this inaction too, and this approach should change,” IRNA quoted Amirabdollahian as saying.
“This is the obvious inconsistency that is being witnessed by the Iranian nation,” he said, adding, “For the current Iranian Administration, measurable actions on the part of the other parties in the JCPOA form the only yardstick.”
Separately, the Iranian official urged that the UK take action towards repaying its debt towards Iran.
Britain owes as much as £400m to Iran arising from the non-delivery of Chieftain tanks ordered by Iran's former monarchical regime. An international arbitration in 2008 ruled the UK owed the debt.
Rebuilding of the bilateral ties took serious action, Amirabdollahian asserted, urging London to note that taking such action on its obligations constituted the only means of reconstructing the relations.
Tehran responds proportionately to any positive and constructive step, he, meanwhile, pledged.
The British official, for her part, alleged that the UK was prepared to repay the debt.
Concerning the JCPOA, she claimed that the main focus currently rested on resumption of the talks. The negotiations were put on hold towards the end of the administration of former president Hassan Rouhani’s tenure so the Islamic Republic can undergo the transition.
She also thanked Iran for facilitating the departure of the UK’s remaining nationals from Afghanistan, apparently referring to the Islamic Republic’s allowing their immediate entrance onto its soil following their exit from the Central Asian country.