Kanaani made the comments during his weekly press briefing in Tehran on Monday, more than a week after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the Israeli regime’s military targets to punish it for a strike earlier in April against the Iranian consulate in Syria.
“As a committed member state of the UN Charter, Iran proved that it had intended to punish the aggressor within international mechanisms, but unfortunately the Islamic Republic failed to fulfill its duty because of interference by the US and some other members of the UN Security Council (UNSC)”, he said, in reference to a move by the US, France, and the UK to prevent the passage of a UNSC resolution that would have condemned Israel for its attack on the Iranian embassy.
The spokesman elaborated on the diplomatic measures Iran took to explain that how the Israeli regime had violated international law and conventions by attacking the Iranian embassy on April 1.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s trips, phone conversations and letters sent to international bodies were just part of the Iranian diplomatic efforts that resulted in a UNSC debate on the Israeli attack, Kanaani said.
Iran showed that it respects international mechanisms to punish the regime, he noted, adding that the Islamic Republic’s military action against Israel was a legitimate move.
The recent incident was not of great importance, and even the Israeli regime refused to propagate it because it was not valuable, Kanaani said, adding that those objects were quadcopters that attempted to conduct operations but were shot down by Iran's defense system, and the foe could not benefit from this move.
The spokesman added that Iran has proven it will not hesitate to respond to any party when it comes to maintaining its national security, and in line with its continued measures, Iran will keep on defending its national security in accordance with international laws.
If further sanctions are imposed on Iran, it would be considered as a reward for the aggressive Zionist regime, he said, noting that such a move would also be seen as an illegal deed against a government, which resorted to legal measures to deter this belligerent regime.
He also argued that it is regrettable that the European Union has not spoken out against the Zionist regime, which has been conducting aggression against the people of Gaza for nearly seven months and is engaged in massacres and genocide, but the bloc speaks about imposing sanctions on Iran, and if they do so, the act will be documented as a shameful action in history.
Security in the Caucasus
Security in the South Caucasus is one of the important priorities of Iran's foreign ministry and other relevant bodies, and this issue affects the security of the region, Kanaani said.
The presence of foreign military does not contribute to peace, stability, and security and securing the interests of the regional countries, he said adding that it leads to the strengthening of militarism in the Caucasus region and will damage the security of that region.
Sending Umrah pilgrims
Fortunately, with the efforts made by the Islamic Republic of Iran, we saw the flight of pilgrims from Iran to Saudi Arabia, he said.
Basically, Umrah pilgrimage for Iranian citizens was one of the first initial agreements between Iran and Saudi Arabia, but in the technical and operational field, the two sides faced some shortcomings, which were resolved through negotiations, he stated.
US cruel sanctions
Iran has used all its diplomatic power to secure the rights of the nation, especially in the issue of lifting the cruel US sanctions, and has never withdrawn from these methods, Kanaani said.
We will continue to use all our diplomatic power in line with realizing the nation's rights in the form of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The issue of lifting sanctions continues to be raised in the international meetings, he added.
It was also discussed on the sidelines of the UN Security Council meeting, he stressed.
Incident at Iran's Paris consulate
Kanaani also spoke about a Friday incident at the Iranian consulate in Paris, France, where a man had threatened to blow himself up.
The spokesman said that the man suffers from mental problems and had no explosives with himself, adding that he later left the diplomatic mission following intervention by the embassy staff.
With regard to the background of that individual, the French judicial was expected to create a safe environment for the Iranian consulate, he added.
Ties with Jordan
Jordan is a key Islamic and Arab country which shares borders with the occupied Palestinian territories and has played a significant role in the Palestinian issue, the Iranian diplomat said.
He added that Iran and Jordan share a common stance on the need for an immediate stop to the Zionist regime’s attacks in Gaza and that Iranian and Jordanian officials have had “good negotiations” on various occasions since the Gaza war began.
Failed policy of sanctions
Elsewhere in his press briefing, Kanaani said that the Iranian foreign ministry has had continuous contacts with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran – which represents US interests in Iran – to convey messages to Washington.
The policy of sanctions has failed, he said, adding that the sanctions hurt the Islamic Republic but have no benefit for the imposers, and they have already seen the results of such measures.
Those, who spoke of crippling sanctions against Iran, are now surprised at the country’s technological progress, Kanaani said, adding that they should take lessons from their previous experiences.
President Raisi visiting Pakistan, Sri Lanka
President Raisi has started a very important visit to Pakistan and will also pay a visit to Sri Lanka in the second leg, after being officially invited by the presidents of both countries, Kanaani said, noting that these trips are in line with Iran's activities concerning its good neighborly policy and the expansion of relationship and cooperation with regional amicable and like-minded states.
Both countries (Pakistan and Sri Lanka) are of great significance in Iran's foreign policy, he said, adding that Pakistan is one of the important and influential states near Iran's borders and both sides enjoy historical, religious, cultural, and religious commonalities, so it is expected that the economic relations of both sides will develop in tandem with their political relations.
Along with deepening political ties between the two nations, serious progress is hoped for in the commercial sphere, including in the sectors of energy, oil and gas, and transportation, as well as the expansion of border markets between Iran and Pakistan.
Given the fact that the Raisi administration gives importance to trade development, the improvement of commercial exchanges between Iran and Pakistan to $10 billion is among the priorities of both countries, he added.
The spokesman also said that another priority is the consolidation and strengthening of the security of the borders of the two countries, which will be discussed by both sides.
The visit to Sri Lanka is also vital, and President Raisi will travel to the Asian country at the official invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, he said, adding that the two states pursue political cooperation along with proper trade ties.
Besides the inauguration of a water transfer project, which has been carried out by Iranian technicians and engineers, the two countries’ high-ranking delegations will hold negotiations during the visit, he noted.
According to the diplomat, on both trips, documents and agreements are ready to be signed.
** Iran's punitive act against Israel
Iran gave a legitimate and legal response to the Zionist regime's illegal action against its diplomatic premises in Damascus and announced that the operation has ended, but if the Zionist regime takes another action, we will give a tougher response, Kanaani said.
By taking this action, Iran has achieved what it needed to achieve, he added.
What we have seen is that the Zionist regime is totalitarian and does not consider the Palestinian nation to have any rights, and it only thinks about the forced displacement of the Palestinian people and wiping them out, he noted.
Ending the occupation is the only solution to solve the Palestinian issue, he reiterated.
Other countries' positions regarding Iran's legitimate action were broad, many countries declared their positive position both in official positions and in bilateral discussions, Kanaani said.
Most of the countries that invited us to exercise self-restraint are those who supported this aggressor regime instead of inviting the Zionist regime to exercise self-restraint, he added.
This dual approach is not fair and not based on international laws, he noted.
The Zionist regime is after creating insecurity between the Islamic countries and the region, he said, adding that the Zionist regime is a threat to the entire region.
We resolve our disputes with Islamic countries and the region within the framework of bilateral relations, he emphasized.
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