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According To Iran News, In reaction to the unveiling of the so-called ‘Trump Deal’ by Brian Hook, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that it only transpired the US’ long fixated delusions.

In a tweet on Thursday Mousavi wrote, “Unveiling of so-called ‘Trump Deal’ by B. Hook only transpired the US’ long fixated delusions dictated by their deeply embedded hubris and entitlement; good to have your Persian language advisors brief you about: ” حکایت گندم ری و خرمای بغداد!”

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Davos, the US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook said, “British Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson called for a replacement of the deal with the Trump deal. We think that is the best path to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. It’s a better path than the Iran nuclear deal.”

“By getting out of the deal, it puts countries in a position of strength to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, but it also allows countries to, as we have, not address Iran’s threats in a silo. You need to take a comprehensive approach to this problem set. And that’s the nuclear program, the missile program, the regional aggression, the expansionist foreign policy, the hostage-taking,” Hook added.

After France, Britain, and Germany announced their decision to trigger the dispute mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an interview with BBC that the Iran nuclear deal should be replaced with a “Trump deal”.

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U.S. Special Representative to Iran Brian Hook recently and in a meeting at the Zionist-lobbied Foundation for Defense of Democracies has said, “Iran was behind the attacks at Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities and this issue is not confined to Iran and the U.S. When Iran attacks at the biggest oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, it is a universal problem which needs an international response.”

IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

Hours after Hook’s false claims, Bloombeg reported that the U.N. investigators have been unable to trace Saudi Aramco attack to Iran which happened in September 2019, adding that they couldn’t yet verify U.S. and Saudi claims that Iran was behind the strikes.

In this report, U.N. experts also blamed the U.S. for breaching the UN Resolution 2231 by pulling out of the JCPOA and it was like pouring  cold water on the U.S. and its three allies which have planned to invoke “snap back” sanctions into place under the Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

On September 23, three European countries, with a tangible siding with U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies, unanimously called for some changes in the JCPOA. UK, Germany and France in a joint statement urged Iran to resume long-term negotiations on its nuclear, missile programs and regional policies.

Europe’s pressure on Iran for keeping the country in a passive condition and fulfilling its unilateral obligations regarding the JCPOA without taking the least advantage of the deal which has been stipulated in the JCPOA is totally evident and the statement made it more obvious.

Europeans, which have failed to fulfill their obligations regarding the JCPOA to make ineffective the negative impacts of the U.S. sanctions, believe that despite reimposition of the U.S. sanctions, Iran should remain committed to its JCPOA obligations.

These countries have recently threatened Iran implicitly that they might invoke “snap back” and revive international sanctions on Iran.

That the U.N does not bow to the U.S. cruel threats and also Europe, and says Iran is entitled to benefit from the JCPOA by referring to 15 reports by the IAEA which were all in favor of Iran’s measures, actually makes “snap back” mechanism ineffective which is a lever in hands of signatories of the JCPOA to threaten Iran for referring its case to the UNSC.

The U.S. and Europe’s disgrace during the UN report indicates another significant meaning that it strengthens China and Russia’s supportive tools in positive approach towards Iran.

New EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in his recent visit to Paris and during meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and during a joint press conference expressed his concern over the future of JCPOA, reiterated that if Iran took its new step in scaling back from the JCPOA in January, it would endanger the deal.

Since May 2019 and almost on the anniversary of the U.S. unilateral and illegal pullout from the JCPOA, Iran has announced that it will gradually reduce its obligations regarding the nuclear deal.

Since then Iran has suspended its obligations regarding the ceiling for its uranium enrichment, heavy water, uranium production and restriction of research and nuclear development program. The country has reiterated that this trend will continue till the last stage of its JCPOA obligations.

Iran’s political strategy in signing the JCPOA indicates the Supreme Leader’s wise and smart leadership in his full trust to the government’s negotiating team.

U.S. unilateral pullout of the JCPOA as well as insidious compliance by the Western countries in the nuclear talks and reimposition of cruel sanctions have led to a united approach in the country in dealing with the West and this unity has blown a fresh spirit into the resistance approach in the region. Today the U.N. has been forced to admit openly and tomorrow countries one by one would follow it and the disgrace and inefficiency of the West would be exposed more and more.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian

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Iran remains a threat to international peace and security, Hook claimed in a Bloomberg interview published on Saturday.

Tensions started to build up between the U.S. and Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018 and imposed sanctions against Tehran in a bid to put maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic.

The Trump administration in the US has also made empty calls for talks and claimed the open road to have dialogue with Iran, but the Islamic Republic maintains that as long as the sanctions are in place and the U.S. refuses to return to the JCPOA, negotiations will be meaningless.

Hook accused Iran of being behind the attack on Saudi oil facilities in September, saying the Saudi government at some point will present evidence of Iran’s complicity to the United Nations Security Council.

Tehran has repeatedly rejected any involvement in the attack warning that if “any moves” takes place against Iran, they will face an immediate response.

Back in September, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said: “even the Saudis themselves don’t believe the fiction of Iranian involvement” in the attack on the Aramco oil facilities.

Hook also pointed to the recent protests in Iran, saying the protests were “anti-regime” in nature even if they aren’t evidence of pro-U.S. sentiment.

Protests erupted in Iran on November 15 after the government announced an increase in the price of gasoline, a subsidized commodity that is still cheaper in Iran than other countries in the world.

Protesters turned violent in many cities and towns but ended after a few days.

Top judicial, political and military figures in Iran have insisted that there is a difference between peaceful protestors and rioters.

During the interview, Hook also claimed the U.S. sanctions do not restrict imports of medical supplies into Iran and are not causing a humanitarian crisis there.

It came days after Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said the United States lies when it says pharmaceuticals and medical equipment are not subject to its sanctions list on Iran.

Namaki has also said the U.S. is exerting pressure on all pharmaceutical companies to stop the sale of medicine to Iran.

“They have put pressure on all our financial transactions regarding medicinal drugs and are exerting pressure on all pharmaceutical companies to stop the sale of medicines to us,” he said.

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has referred to a statement issued by Washington to refute allegations made European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal claiming Iran’s missile activities have violated the deal.

“Brian Hook (US Special Representative for Iran) has given our E3 JCPOA partners a timely reminder, openly admitting that missile testing is NOT prohibited in Security Council Resolution 2231,” the foreign minister said in a tweet on Friday.

Zarif quoted a statement made by Hook during a State Department briefing on Thursday which said, “One of the deficiencies of the Iran nuclear deal is that it ended the prohibition on Iran’s ballistic missile testing.”

Brian Hook has given our E3 #JCPOA partners a timely reminder, openly admitting that missile testing is NOT prohibited in Security Council Resolution 2231:

Zarif’s Friday remarks came in response to a letter authored by the European signatories of the deal, comprised of France, Germany and Britain, which circulated on Wednesday.

The letter, addressing UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, accused Tehran of possessing “nuclear-capable ballistic missiles”.

Britain, France and Germany claim Iran has “nuclear-capable ballistic missiles” and that its latest missile activities are “inconsistent” with a UN resolution that endorsed the accord.

The letter claimed that Iran’s latest missile activities were “inconsistent” with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the accord in 2015.

On Thursday, Zarif rejected the European accusations as a “desperate falsehood” seeking to cover up the EU3’s “miserable incompetence” in fulfilling their commitments under the accord.

Zarif also posted a letter written by the head of Iran’s mission to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi sent to Guterres detailing a legal response to the European accusations.

Ravanchi argued that Iran’s activities “related to space launch vehicles and ballistic missiles fall outside of the purview of competence of Resolution 2231 (2015) and its annexes.”

In that letter, Iran’s ambassador to UN had rebutted claims leveled by the EU3 against Iran’s missile activities, noting that the countries activities “related to space launch vehicles and ballistic missiles fall outside of the purview of competence of Resolution 2231 (2015) and its annexes.”

The letter added, “….given the mandate set forth in the note by the President of the Security Council on Security Council tasks under Resolution 2231 …, the secretary general is therefore expected to avoid reporting on such irrelevant activities in his reports on the implementation of that resolution.”

“At the same time, the international community must be extremely vigilant regarding the politically motivated approach by the United Nations and certain other industrialized countries, which, under such absurd pretexts as proliferation concerns, attempt to demonize benign technologies such as space technology that are critical for the socioeconomic development of all nations, particularly developing countries.”

Iran’s ambassador to UN concluded by saying, “I would like to stress once against that Iran is determined to resolutely continue its activities related to ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles, both of which are within its inherent rights under international law and are necessary for securing its security as well as socioeconomic interests.

Washington withdrew from the multilateral nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions against Iran.

The Trump administration made the move demanding a “new deal” that would limit Iran’s defensive missile capabilities and regional anti-terrorism and defense cooperation with its regional allies.

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“We have protested to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the competent authorities, including the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs”, noted Peyvandi, adding: “we hope a solution will be found to meet the needs of Iranian people so that we can import medical supplies to the country”.

Referring to the fact that most sanctions include raw materials for drug production, he said that the number of these items is not high but includes the raw materials needed to produce anticancer drugs and chronic diseases that are essential for the survival of these patients.

IRCS President stressed that Iranian Red Crescent Society and Ministery of Health and Medical Education are currently corresponding with international organizations to resolve the issue of drug delivery to Iran, but so far no acceptable response has been received.

Despit all these facts on the ground, Brian h. Hook, Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the US Secretary of State and other US administration officials have claimed for several times that the United Sates sanctions regime doesn’t include food, medicine, medical devices, and agricultural products.

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“Iran seeks peace and condemns terrorist actions against other countries and religions,” the statement added in response to Hook that had accused Iran of supporting terrorism.

It further rejected US accusations against Iran’s defensive missiles, stressing that the Iranian missile program is “completely peaceful.”

It also said that Iranian nuclear activities are completely under the supervision of the IAEA and the IAEA inspectors have many times confirmed the peaceful nature of Iranian nuclear program.

The statement also reminded that the US unlawful withdrawal from UN Security Council-approved JCPOA contrary to Iran’s compliance with the deal.

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The statement came after Hook went to the UN to update permanent members of the Security Council on US policy towards Iran.

The Iranian mission’s statement is as follows:

“A US State Department official traveled to New York to meet with the United Nations Security Council members to underscore, as falsely claimed by the US State Department, “the importance of holding Iran accountable for its defiance of UN Security Council resolutions on the development and testing of ballistic missiles”.

The US is reminded that resolution 2231, which has been adopted unanimously, replaced all previous resolutions of the Security Council on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, and endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran’s compliance with its nuclear related commitments under the JCPOA has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency for 14 times thus far.

Likewise, contrary to all fabrications and disinformation of the US, none of Iran’s missiles are “designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons”, and therefore resolution 2231 does not limit, in any way, the activities related to the conventional ballistic missiles of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Consequently, Iran’s related activities are not inconsistent with that resolution, rather, they fall outside of the purview or competence of that resolution.

However, the US, in clear and flagrant violation of resolution 2231, has withdrawn from the JCPOA. The worse is that, the US, as a permanent seat holder in the Security Council, is brazenly threatening other UN Member States, either to VIOLATE that resolution or to face PUNISHMENT. This is truly a destructive and hypocritical policy.

Instead of attempting to disseminate fabricated accusations and to exploit the UN Security Council to advance its mischievous policies against Iran, the US authorities must act responsibly in accordance with their international obligations and to explain to the Council members that why their country is violating resolution 2231 and why it is forcing other States to do the same.”

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