Iran summons European ambassadors, strongly protests interventionist GCC-EU statement
Tehran - BORNA - The development took place shortly after issuance of the joint statement that had disputed Iran’s ownership of a trio of Persian Gulf islands, besides portraying the Islamic Republic’s defensive missile might and its peaceful nuclear energy program in a bad light.
Addressing the envoys, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi formally conveyed the Islamic Republic’s “strong protest” regarding the meddlesome stances.
Triple Persian Gulf islands ‘inseparable part’ of Iran
Takht-Ravanchi reaffirmed Iran’s “absolute and permanent” sovereignty over the Iranian islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, calling them “inseparable” parts of the country’s territory.
European support for “baseless” remarks to the contrary violates the principle of respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the official added, and called the statement politically-charged and biased.
Iran’s missile might ‘guarantor of national, regional security’
Additionally, Takht-Ravanchi vehemently denounced allegations aimed at tarnishing Iran’s missile program, calling them “clear interference” in the Islamic Republic’s internal affairs.
He rejected any false claims concerning the program as “exaggerated narratives,” and stressed that Iran’s indigenous defensive capacities, including its missile power, were part of its inherent right to self-defense and a guarantor of regional stability and security.
‘Europe mustn’t forget own betrayal of nuclear deal’
Elsewhere in his remarks, the diplomat strongly criticized the European envoys over the statement’s similarly false claims about Iran’s nuclear program.
“Instead of repeating baseless and stereotypical accusations regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the European parties should be held accountable for their own destructive conduct” that sabotaged a 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and others, he stated.
The official was referring to the move that saw the European trio of the UK, France, and Germany, which are part of the deal, suspend their trade with Iran after the United States unilaterally and illegally left the agreement in 2018 and returned its sanctions against Tehran.
The official also slammed the troika’s triggering the agreement’s so-called “snapback” mechanism in August, which led to re-imposition of nuclear-related sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
He noted how the trio’s own sheer non-commitment to the deal had already robbed them of any right to resort to the mechanism.
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