“In terms of weight, non-oil exports are about two times more that imports, and since the beginning of the year, we have exported 13 million tons of non-oil commodities to foreign destinations,” he added.

In early June, two tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, a key waterway used to transport energy supplies from the Middle East.
The United States blamed Iran for the attacks.

On June 15, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Robert Macaire over the accusations.

Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe Mahmoud Barimani conveyed Tehran’s strong protest to the British government’s “unfounded allegations” and “unacceptable” anti-Iran stances.

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“In the past week we did our best to blame the [Iranian] regime for the [oil tanker] blasts. Saudis have called Sister Maryam [Rajavi]’s office to follow up on the results, [to get] a conclusion of what has been done, and the possible consequences,” Fakhteh is heard saying.

“I guess this can have different consequences. It can send the case to the UN Security Council or even result in military intervention. It can have any consequence,” Daei-ul-Eslam says.

Attacks on two commercial oil tankers in the Sea of Oman on June 13, and an earlier attack on four oil tankers off the UAE’s Fujairah port on May 12, have escalated tensions in the Middle East and raised the prospect of a military confrontation between Iran and the United States.

The US, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have rushed to blame Iran for the incidents, with the US military releasing a grainy video it claimed shows Iranian forces in a patrol boat removing an unexploded mine from the side of a Japanese-owned tanker which caught fire earlier this month.

It later released some images of the purported Iranian operation after the video was seriously challenged by experts and Washington’s own allies.

The MKO which has assassinated over 17,000 Iranians receives support from the US and its allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia.

The MKO which is said to be a cult which turns humans into obedient robots, turned against Iran after the 1979 Revolution and has carried out several terrorist attacks killing senior officials in Iran; yet the West which says cultism is wrong and claims to be against terrorism, supports this terrorist group officially.

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the MKO began its enmity against Iran by killings and terrorist activities.

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The conflict would be addressed at the G20 summit in Japan next week, said Merkel, adding that Germany can help to make a political and diplomatic solution.

The German Chancellor also warned against those who isolate themselves from the international community, without naming anyone; although she has always been critical of Trump’s decisions to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. She said that no country could tackle the global challenges of the 21st century alone.

“In some places, distrust seems to have been declared government policy…Without trust as a foundation, international politics cannot succeed.”

Tensions have been running high between Iran and the US in recent weeks, with Washington stepping up its provocative military moves in the Middle East.

Most recently, a US Global Hawk spy drone violated the Iranian airspace near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, which was then shot down by IRGC’s missile defense system.

The US claimed the drone was flying over the international skies, while Iran later revealed sections of the US drone wreckage retrieved from Iranian waters and also showed a map with detailed coordinates that show the drone was shot down within the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters.

Earlier on Monday, the Pentagon announced that the US will send 1,000 additional US forces and more military resources to the Middle East.

Last week, UN sources revealed that the United States was planning to carry out a “tactical assault” on an Iranian nuclear facility in response to the alleged Iranian role in the June 13 attacks against oil tankers in the Sea of Oman.

Tehran believes the US has a hand in a set of suspicious regional incidents in recent weeks, such as the tanker attacks, in a bid to pin the blame on Iran and put more pressure on the country.

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Two oil tankers, one owned by Norway and the other by Japan, were struck by blasts in the Sea of Oman on Thursday. The US was quick to point the finger of blame at the Islamic Republic, a month after it accused Tehran of involvement in attacks that crippled four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. US president Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was behind Thursday’s blasts without providing evidence to back up his claim.

Hatami went on to say that Iran is a strong and law-abiding country and will take responsibility for its actions. These allegations are the continuation of US efforts against the Iranian Armed Forces who play a major role in ensuring security in the region and international waterways.

Another important point is that US has not made any direct military intervention in the past 10 years; rather, they have used proxy groups such as ISIL to attain their goals, said the defense minister, adding, “what happened in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the port of Fujairah were very similar, in terms of its management and type, to the US behaviors which are aimed at creating insecurity in waterways to serve their own interests.”

Pointing to a video published by the US which accuses Iran of conducting the attacks, Hatami said that neither the date nor the place of capturing the video is clear and it cannot be verified. When Iranian ships were dispatched to the place to conduct rescue operations, US had the opportunity to capture the video and show them in a way that they like, he noted, adding, “such videos don’t carry any authenticity.”

He further described the current situation as ‘complex’, calling on all to follow it with careful attention.

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Referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Falahatpisheh said that more efforts is expected from European countries, especially France, to save the deal, hoping that EU would adopt more practical measures in this regard.

Pointing to recent attacks on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman, he added, “the presence of foreign naval fleet has created instability in the Sea of Oman and in the region.” He said that Iran wants more probe into the case.

He also called on the parliaments of the two countries to pave the ground for enhancing economic ties.

For her part, Marielle de Sarnez said that France and Iran are enjoying strong academic, cultural and medical relations, also hoping for increased ties in different fields.

She noted that keeping JCPOA alive is really important for France and that French officials are determined to put all-out effort to keep Iran in the deal.

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