TEHRAN (Iran News) In fact, this difference was not only in the form but also in the nature of the messages and diplomatic tactics.

The intensification of the discourse on bloc alignment and the multipolarization of the world this year made the confrontation between the blocs of power more explicit.

Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Chile, Colombia, and others condemned the behavior of the United States and the Zionist regime, accusing them of genocide in Gaza, attacks on countries, and the killing of children, women, and civilians.

The West (led by the United States and Europe) emphasized preserving the rules-based international order, condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and supporting Ukraine.

Russia and China strongly referred to being “pressured by the West,” to “security threats,” and to the need to move toward a “fairer and more multipolar world order.” They accused the West of “hypocrisy.”

The Non-Aligned Movement and developing countries had a louder voice. They demanded greater attention to issues such as food security, climate change, international debt, and inequality and declared that they do not want to become victims of the rivalry of the great powers. The main message of many of them was: “This war (Ukraine) is not our problem, but its consequences—such as rising grain and energy prices—have affected us.”

Although condemnation of war remained strong, there were also noticeable differences in tone and tactics.

The speech of Russia’s representative, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, was more defensive and focused on justifying Russia’s actions based on “NATO threats.” He sought to accuse the West of undermining peace throughout the world and emphasized Russia’s determination to continue supporting Ukraine. Yet, an underlying tone often conveyed concern about “war fatigue,” the need to find long-term diplomatic solutions, and an emphasis on global peace.

Countries such as Turkey, India, and Brazil emphasized the necessity of achieving “immediate peace” and of restoring the role of diplomacy in achieving peace, without necessarily blaming one side entirely.

Some topics that had been more marginal in previous years became central this year. For the first time, the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence were widely discussed by world leaders, who called for the creation of international regulatory frameworks.

Thus, it can be clearly stated that this year’s speeches were “different,” not in their format but in their content and geopolitical context. This difference can be summed up in the statement that the world has become more multipolar than ever before, and the United Nations General Assembly reflected the emergence of these divides.

While the great powers insisted on their own positions, the voices of the Third World countries, which called for solutions to their urgent livelihood crises, were heard more loudly and more seriously than before. This shows that global priorities are changing and that traditional diplomacy is under new pressure.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) –Envoys and diplomats from Iran and eleven other countries held a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz, at the United Nations with the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in attendance.

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On Friday finally the United Nations human rights chief woke up and warned the situation in the occupied West Bank is “getting out of control” due to Israel’s use of excessive force.

Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement that rising violence “fueled by sharp political rhetoric and Israel’s continued use of weapons” in the occupied West Bank could spiral out of control in the wake of recent attacks by Israeli settlers in several areas.

Turk called on the Israeli authorities to immediately end the violence and abide by international law with regard to the use of lethal force.

“Israel must urgently reset its policies and actions in the occupied West Bank in line with international human rights standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life.”

“As an occupying entity, Israel also has obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure public order and safety within the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Turk called for “effective investigations into cases of killings committed by Israeli forces, where there is sufficient evidence of violations of national or international law,” also demanding that the suspected perpetrators “be held accountable.”

The UN rights chief said the underlying dynamics leading to the widespread violence by Israel and arbitrary loss of life in the occupied Palestinian territories need to be addressed with urgency. “For this violence to end, the occupation must end,” he said.

“On all sides, the people with the political power know this and must instigate immediate steps to realize this.”

Meanwhile at the same time, the EU’s top representative to the Palestinians, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff, condemned Israel for failing to meet its obligations to protect Palestinians.

“There was no attempt or effort to stop the settlers,” he said.

The statements came after June 19 Israeli attack in Jenin refugee camp that killed at least seven Palestinians, including a boy and a girl.

Israelis do not limit their crimes only to killing of people but they also insult the sanctities of Muslims and especially Palestinians and each time it goes unnoticed by the international bodies and even nations and only Muslim nations have to react to those insults.

Palestinian factions as well as countries around the world have condemned the desecration of a mosque and the Holy Quran by fanatic Israeli settlers during a Wednesday attack into a village in the occupied West Bank.

Newly-released CCTV footage shows a group of Israeli settlers who stormed the Palestinian village of Urif south of Nablus entered a mosque and vandalized it, and also took a copy of the Holy Quran and ripped pages before throwing the holy book into the street.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Hamas resistance movement, said on Friday that what happened in the village of Urif is a heinous crime and a dangerous escalation of the religious war waged by the Zionists.

Qassem stressed that this barbaric behavior of the settler group, which was supported by the occupation military, was an insult to all the Palestinian people and an unprecedented disregard for their sanctities.

The spokesman called on Muslim nations and religious institutions to adopt a clear stance on the move, which he described as a “hateful racist” behavior.

But it is the task of the UN and all international bodies to rush to defend Muslims and Palestinians instead of seating and watching what the Palestinians or Muslims do against those insults and crimes.

What Volker Turk did can be a step forward and we can pin hopes on the future of the UN in showing its real task and nature which has been lost under the influence of arrogant powers and many countries have called for some reforms in this international body.

On Wednesday Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei praised the remarkable achievements of Palestinian resistance groups and the sacrifices made by the youth in the occupied territories, saying the West Bank is where the Israeli regime will be brought to its knees.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, and his accompanying delegation in Tehran on Wednesday.

The Leader commended the strong sense of responsibility among the young and faithful Palestinian generation, as well as their individual and collective struggle against the Israeli occupation.

He emphasized that recent events in Jenin, where Palestinian youths have surrounded the Zionist military, serve as clear examples of a new era and signal “a bright future with complete victory.”

Underscoring the centrality of the Palestinian issue, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, “Progress in resolving the issue of Palestine will also translate into progress on other matters concerning the Islamic Ummah.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the noticeable changes in the conditions of Palestine over the past couple of years, particularly the increased presence of youths on the field, who draw strength from their faith in Islam.

Highlighting the importance of enhanced unity and coordination among all resistance groups, the Leader said, “During the recent battle of Gaza, we witnessed the enemy’s attempts to sow discord and divisions among the resistance groups. However, by the grace of God, their efforts were in vain.”

The Leader is totally right and Palestinians through unity and resistance can achieve victory and they can even make the nations wake up against tyranny of the Zionist regime as we saw someone like Volker Turk officially confess to the crimes of the Zionists and call for some action against Israel.

Of course we do not expect any action from the UN against Israel for the time being but unity and resistance and retaliatory action of the Palestinians can finally make the UN take some serious action against Israel and it will be a big step towards the final victory of Palestinians which is imminent.

The UN should act in a way that it can win the trust of all nations and not just few certain states which have their own influence on this body but winning the trust needs serious action against tyranny and savage governments and currently the countdown has started for the victory of Palestinians and Muslims against the Zionists.

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He made the remarks in an earthquake preparedness training session held in Tehran on Tuesday in cooperation with the UN, the Crisis Management Organization.

Expressing the desirable capacities of Iran in dealing with natural hazards, he said that we will do everything to assist Iran. In this regard, we can increase operational performance and improve safety in the sector to enhance cooperation.

Mohammad Hassan Nami, head of the Crisis Management Organization also said that humanitarian assistance in times of crisis and natural disasters will be a bilateral issue, and the Islamic Republic declares its readiness to provide assistance to other affected countries.

He further stressed the need for various exercises and maneuvers in order to prepare for responding to various crises, as well as the formation of various working groups.

He also called for the establishment of 13 specialized working groups with the United Nations and regional offices and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen infrastructure.

Given the climate change and global warming that is taking place around the world, the role of the United Nations and other influential organizations in preventing countries from engaging in risky activities in this area, he noted.

Nami also called on the UN envoy to cooperate in providing crisis management equipment to the country, citing unilateral U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Natural disasters

Throughout history, mankind has always struggled with natural disasters, which are exacerbating over time.

The Iranian plateau, with its location between two vast expanses of water as well as the intersection of the Eurasian plateau and Saudi Arabia, has always been exposed to numerous natural hazards and disasters.

Earthquake, as one of the main natural challenges, occasionally becomes the uninvited guest of Iranian homes. On the other hand, the existence of important rivers and water reservoirs in the country has also increased flood risk.

According to UN surveys this year, the main natural disasters listed for Iran are drought, floods, and earthquakes. Subsidence is also a phenomenon that has emerged as one of the consequences of drought along with the aforementioned three challenges.

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Zahra Ershadi, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, has criticized the approach of some states to human rights, describing it as selective.

Addressing the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, Ershadi said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran remains seriously concerned about the ever-increasing greed for targeting independent nations with country-specific resolutions. Counter-productive by nature, such resolutions pose a deadly threat to the cause of human rights. My Government reiterates its call on certain States to – once and for all – shelve and abandon weaponization of human rights, selectivity and double standards and instead, cherish human rights mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review.”

At the start of her statement, Ershadi underlined the need for human rights to become a common cause for all. “Protection and promotion of human rights should be a common cause for all. We place a premium on genuine and non-political concern about human rights, mutual respect and dialogue. It is an irrefutable fact that the only way to guarantee promotion and protection of human rights is through encouraging dialogue and cooperation based upon mutual respect and on an equal footing. The Islamic Republic of Iran underscores the need for all Member States to remain open and inclusive to dialogue, respect the diversity of civilizations and the development paths independently chosen by countries, and refrain from imposing one’s own social system and model on others,” she said.

Ershadi noted, “Reiterating our principled position on non-recognition and rejection of country-specific mandates, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its genuine interaction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other competent UN human rights mechanisms to collaborate on the protection and promotion of human rights.”

The Iranian diplomat pointed out, “While we observe our international obligations to help promote and protect human rights globally, we will continue to focus on serving our people, further deepen our truly democratic system of governance and institutionalize our human rights accomplishments. We continue to witness the application of unilateral coercive measures, which are contrary to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and international law, multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations. Such measures violate human rights by hindering the well-being of the population in the targeted countries, in particular women and children. The cruel punitive measures are maliciously designed to hinder people’s access to much-needed medicine and drain Iran’s resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ershadi also underlined “the important role of the Human Rights Council in confronting and addressing vicious waves of racism, violent extremism and terrorism. The Human Rights Council has a role to play in raising global awareness about the imminent and fast mobility of the evil forces of violent extremism and terrorism.”

The Iranian diplomat responded to Israeli allegations against Iran. She said these allegations are “baseless.”

Ershadi said, “It is no secret that no matter how the child-killer Israeli regime attempts to raise unfounded allegations against Iran, it cannot hide its heinous crimes committed against the innocent Palestinian people on a daily basis. The ugly face of Zionism, racism and Apartheid cannot be whitewashed by cheap rhetoric.”

The diplomat’s statement on human rights came on the heels of an earlier statement by the Iranian foreign ministry rejecting a UN human rights report on Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Wednesday reacted to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dismissing it as “biased and confrontational.”

Khatibzadeh said the report submitted to the UN General Assembly is selective and politically motivated. He rejected the worthless allegations made in the report as deplorable, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

The ministry spokesman emphasized that the report is contrary to the principles and criteria set forth in the rules governing the work of reporters, including the need to obtain facts using objective and reliable information from reliable sources. Khatibzadeh noted that the report can in no way give a true and accurate assessment of the human rights situation in Iran.

He referred to the repeated enmity and unfounded accusations made by the UN Special Rapporteur against the Islamic Republic, saying this record has completely damaged the credibility of his reports and turned them into political statements by terrorist groups and opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Referring to the political and illegitimate goals of the report, Khatibzadeh expressed regret over the targeted concentration of the UN Special Rapporteur on allegations without heeding the measures that have improved human rights in Iran. Khatibzadeh said as stressed repeatedly, appointing a special rights rapporteur for a country like Iran which is under the pressure of the U.S. economic terrorism but has remained committed to its citizens and the international community is basically unjustified and non-constructive.

Khatibzadeh stated that the Islamic Republic, as a democratic system and within the framework of religious obligations and adherence to its constitution and other laws and international treaties, has taken steps to develop and promote human rights at the national, regional and international levels and is committed to it. He noted that the special rapporteur should first wake up from deep sleep and condemn the devastating effects of economic terrorism on Iranians’ access to basic necessities, including medical and pharmaceutical items during the Covid crisis.

Khatibzadeh also spoke of those who were behind the agenda of the special rapporteur, saying some of the countries, which carry out the largest number of international human rights attacks against Iran, impose or enforce oppressive sanctions against the Iranian people, sell advanced weapons to criminals, cooperate strategically with the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people, and support terrorist groups. Therefore, he said, these countries are themselves the biggest violators of human rights in the world.

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During his stay in New York, the new Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, has made it clear to his foreign interlocutors that Iran is embarking on a new foreign policy course, one that is based on “economic multilateralism” and broader relations with the world, particularly the neighboring countries.

This course is being charted out after decade-long nuclear diplomacy with the West failed to produce tangible results for Iran. It also marks the start of an era of decoupling Iran’s foreign policy for the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). For about a decade, the JCPOA has dominated Iran’s foreign policy. It has been raised in almost every meeting between Iranian foreign ministers and their counterparts from Europe and elsewhere in the world.

This domination has also resulted in severe fluctuations in Iran’s economy.

But now it seems that the new Iranian government is ultimately coming to a conclusion that the country’s foreign policy should by no means be limited to the JCPOA.

The early signs of this policy come to the surface during the recent visit by Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi to Tajikistan, where he initiated the process of Iran’s joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Addressing the 21st SCO Summit in Dushanbe, Ayatollah Raisi said, “When I took over the presidency of the Islamic Republic, I introduced my foreign policy orientation as focusing on ‘economic multilateralism’ and strengthening ‘neighborhood policy’ in its broadest sense, and strengthening its presence in regional organizations.”

The Iranian president added, “The combination of the Eurasia and One Road-One Belt initiatives can be an objective realization of this approach, and the vast potential of the Islamic Republic of Iran in terms of geopolitics, population, energy, transportation, human resources, and most importantly spirituality, culture and civilization can cause a significant stimulus to this outlook.”

Iran’s membership in the SCO was achieved during the first foreign visit by Ayatollah Raisi in his capacity as Iran’s president. So, it gave the Raisi team a boost at the start of their Asia-oriented foreign policy.

The 67th United Nations General Assembly is another occasion for this team to further elaborate their newly-crafted foreign policy. Abdollahian put Iran’s new orientation into practice during his meetings with foreign officials at the UN. He met with many counterparts including top diplomats from Europe.

Abdollahian spent much of his meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas discussing the situation around the JCPOA. The Iranian foreign minister was keen to communicate Iran’s new foreign policy to Maas. He told his German counterpart that “the other signatories to the JCPOA must have flexibility and understand the new situation following the inauguration of the new Iranian administration.”

Abdollahian also “underscored that the administration’s definite policy is to not tie the Iranian economy to the nuclear deal, declaring Iran’s readiness to forge ties irrespective of the JCPOA,” according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

Notably, the Iranian foreign minister stressed that the Iran-Germany trade and economic ties are not satisfactory at all and that Tehran and Berlin must find a solution to this problem.

The new Iranian government began its new foreign policy by joining the SCO and pushing forward the neighborhood policy which aims to enhance Tehran’s relations with the neighboring countries. In continuation of the new orientation, the Raisi government seeks to further boost relations with more countries regardless of the fate of the JCPOA.

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The text of Antonio Guterres’s message to President Raisi is as follows:

“His Excellency Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

I would like to congratulate you on your presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Your presidency coincides with a critical time for your country, the region, and the world, as we face many common challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and long and devastating conflicts, including in the Middle East.

Iran’s remarkable human and natural resources are an asset for improving the well-being of its citizens, as well as other peoples of the world. The United Nations and I personally are interested in working with the new government under your leadership to achieve peace and security, sustainable development and human rights around the world.

I count on your “cooperation” to continue to advance the values and aspirations set out in the Charter of the United Nations.

Your Excellency, please accept my best wishes and best regards.

With warmest greetings,

Antonio Guterres

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Heading a UN delegation, Arnault met with Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, Iran’s special envoy for Afghanistan.

During the meeting, the current developments in Afghanistan, including the dialogue process and the security situation in the country, were discussed.

Pointing out that Iran considers peace and security in Afghanistan as peace and security in the Islamic Republic, Taherian expressed Tehran’s support for the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process.

He also said Iran is ready to cooperate in facilitating and advancing intra-Afghan dialogue, according to Fars News. The special envoy also insisted on the need to preserve the achievements of the Afghan people over the past two decades.

The two sides also expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Afghanistan in recent months and called for a reduction in violence and the prevention of civilian casualties.

Iran has long voiced support for the Afghan peace talks while stressing the necessity for these talks to be owned and led by the Afghans themselves.

Last week, during his weekly press conference, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran’s diplomatic efforts are focused on bringing peace and prosperity to Afghanistan.

“The future of Afghanistan and its prosperity and peace and stability in Afghanistan has always been the main focus of our consultations,” he said.

Iran has ratcheted up its diplomatic efforts to push forward the Afghan peace process. Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, the director of the Southern Asia Bureau at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, recently paid a 10-day visit to Afghanistan to discuss the peace process.

During his visit to Afghanistan, Mousavi discussed ways to expand political and diplomatic relations and reviewed the current situation in Afghanistan and met with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and government officials. He stressed in the meetings that Iran will continue to stand by Afghanistan and continue its friendly activities.

“Now, after the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Afghanistan, a new development has taken place in this country, and its construction depends on how the government and the people of the country use this opportunity. It is not a question of the presence of a military power that dominates the people, it is important which group or faction can gain the trust of the people and rule the hearts of the people,” Mousavi told the Afghan service of Fars News.

According to Mousavi, Afghanistan needs to reach a national consensus and what guarantees the future of the country.

“In the Doha process, it seems that the U.S. and the Taliban have reached a greater agreement than what is stated in the text of the agreement, and the Taliban attach special importance to this agreement and consider the Doha Accords as the basis for future negotiations. In the Doha negotiations, there are issues that have not yet been released but are important to the Taliban,” he continued.

“For a national consensus, the trust that has been developed between the United States and the Taliban needs to be transferred to the government, political figures, Mujahidin and the people, and the future of Afghanistan should not be based on the U.S. agreement, but on the intra-Afghan agreement,” Mousavi noted.

Pointing to the Istanbul conference, he said, “During the trip to Afghanistan and discussions with the ambassadors of different countries and the United Nations representative in Afghanistan and before, [we concluded that] it seems that the Istanbul meeting may not take place because they did not give an independent identity to this meeting and considered this meeting as a continuation of the Doha meeting in Qatar. When nothing new is unveiled and the United Nations does not play a more serious role in the Afghan peace process, all meetings are like the Doha meeting and will make no difference.”

Mousavi pointed out, “If you look at the role of the United Nations in the current peace process, it claims that it can invite others to the Istanbul summit alongside Qatar and Turkey, but UNAMA’s activities in Afghanistan are based on Chapter VI of the UN Charter. Chapter VI of the UN Charter is based on humanitarian services, reconstruction and issues that do not form the basis of responsibility for the peace process, and the resolution that formed UNAMA is a post-Bonn resolution based on ostracizing the Taliban. UNAMA is structured in such an atmosphere.”

The Iranian diplomat noted, “Now that the Taliban are invited to participate in the future of Afghanistan, we must have a new order for the United Nations in Afghanistan, which is in the framework of Chapter VII of the Charter. If dozens of other meetings are held in different cities, but if there is no new agenda, it is not possible to hope for negotiations and the Doha process will continue.”

He stated, “The United Nations should take a fresh look at Afghanistan and issue a resolution under Chapter VII, appointing a special envoy to examine the peace process in a special way.”

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TEHRAN (IFP) – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has rejected any negotiation over the Islamic Republic’s “legitimate” ballistic missile program.

According To Iran News, Majid Takht Ravanchi said at a virtual UN meeting that Iran’s defense policy is crystal clear.

“On numerous occasions, we have made our position on the country’s defense capabilities completely clear,” he noted.

“Under the international law, every country is essentially entitled to develop a conventional missile program, and Iran is not exception,” said the official.

“Hence, Iran will not negotiate on its legitimate ballistic missile program,” he underlined.

He said Iran pays due regard to its national security.

“As Iran is located in a sensitive region such as the Middle East, we will not allow our security and conventional defense might to be compromised, restricted or undermined,” he said.

“Iran won’t be intimidated into abandoning its legitimate defense tolls by the bullying policies of certain powers,” said Takht Ravanchi.

He said the only source of instability and insecurity in the region is the presence of a large number of American troops in almost all countries neighboring Iran and the ones in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman region.

Another source of instability and insecurity, he said, is the flow into the region of the most sophisticated weapons made by the US and other Western countries.

“The Persian Gulf has been suffering from foreign interference and unfair rivalries for years. Due to the unrestrained inflow of dangerous Western weapons, this region has turned into a powder keg. In order to sell more arms, these countries fuel differences in the region and have adopted the ‘divide and rule’ policy,” he said.

He expressed hope countries in the region will soon welcome Iran’s peace initiative known as the Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE).

He further noted the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the JCPOA, was the outcome of marathon talks and there is no point putting it on the negotiating table again.

Takht Ravanchi said that under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the JCPOA was concluded as a comprehensive, long-term and appropriate solution to the Iran nuclear issue in order to establish a new relationship with Iran and facilitate and boost trade and economic cooperation and transactions with Tehran.

“The conclusion of the JCPOA was the result of marathon talks, including difficult tit-for-tat arrangements, and any offer of revising, renegotiating or extending the deal runs counter to UNSC Resolution 2231, and will definitely be not acceptable for Iran,” the top official added.

“After withdrawing from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, the U.S. re-imposed all of its nuclear sanctions, and ever since, has adopted a hostile approach toward the JCPOA and Iran, covertly and overtly bothering Iran’s trade partners constantly and extensively,” he added.

“With these measures, the U.S. has committed blatant violations of the JCPOA and has systematically and constantly breached its legal obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the UN Charter and the international law,” he explained.

Moreover, by impudently threatening to punish other governments if they refuse to violate Resolution 2231, the US has both reneged on its commitments under that resolution and practically prevented other state parties from living up to their obligations,” he said.

Takht Ravanchi also touched upon Washington’s breach of a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“The United States has also refused to abide by a quia timet injunction issued by the unanimous vote of judges of the International Court of Justice on October 3, 2018 which obliges the US to remove impediments to the sales of humanitarian supplies to Iran,” he said.

“Still, instead of adopting remedial measures authorized under the JCPOA, Iran exercised maximum restraint and strategic patience for one year at the request of the three European countries,” he said.

However, he explained, Iran’s restraint was met with the United States’ so-called “maximum-pressure” policy and ever-increasing illegal sanctions as well as the three European countries’ absolute failure to deliver on their commitments.

“Under such circumstances, we had no choice but to take remedial steps in full compliance with paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA which stipulate that Iran has every right to stop the implementation of its commitments, in whole or in part, if new sanctions are slapped on the country or if previous sanctions are re-imposed,” he said.

“So, Iran’s measures are in full compliance with our rights and obligations under the JCPOA, and more importantly, they are reversible,” said the top official.

Takht Ravanchi underscored that the United States has slapped more than 1,500 sanctions on Iran targeting all of the country’s economic sectors and destroying almost all benefits of the JCPOA for Iran.

“Such sanctions, which are expected to increase even until the last minutes the current US administration is in office, amounts to a full-scale war where weapons have been replaced by an economic tool.

“Based on U.S. officials’ comments, the sanctions are aimed at starving Iranian people using food and medicines as a weapon, a practice which is even forbidden during wartime,” said Takht Ravanchi.

He said Washington’s claim that sanctions do not include humanitarian supplies is a “sheer lie.”

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