Nasser Kanaani made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Monday, in response to IRNA’s correspondent who asked him to clarify Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s recent remarks about the “September document between Iran and the United States.”
According to Kanaani, the last round of negotiations on reviving the deal, also known as the JCPOA, in September last year was about to be finalized but the US and its European partners rejected the final document.
They made a miscalculation by taking into account the Iran riots as well as the developments in Ukraine, missing an important opportunity to conclude the talks, he said.
“They showed once again that they do not have the true will necessary for the parties to return to the JCPOA and fulfill their obligations,” Kanaani lamented.
The spokesman further noted that Iran will develop its relations with those seeking to expand ties with it based on mutual respect.
“In the meantime, we are witnessing the improvement of Iran’s regional and international status,” he said, adding that the developments have undoubtedly led to good achievements in increasing the volume of Iran’s trade with other countries.
-- Responding to media hype on oil sale
Kanaani referred to claims made by Western media about the sale of oil and Iran’s commercial exchanges, saying that media reports might pursue certain objectives; however, Iran has time and again announced it will adhere to the diplomatic path, as it will seriously follow up the process of lifting the sanctions and it will not wait for the result of the negotiations on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal or the US administration’s stance on the Islamic Republic’s trade ties with other states.
The Islamic Republic will use all legal mechanisms to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation, the spokesman said, noting that Tehran uses the existing capacities in pursuing its relations and that numerous governments seek to develop cooperation with Iran.
-- Issues related to Iranian expats
According to the diplomat, some issues such as supporting Iranian expatriates, facilitating their travel to their homeland, and increasing consular services have been significantly paid heed by the diplomatic apparatus of President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration.
The Islamic Republic provides Iranian expatriates with various services without pursuing any political considerations, he argued.
We have repeatedly said that consular services are not restricted to individuals, who have different viewpoints in dealing with the Islamic Republic or have criminal records, he said, noting that Iranian consular offices are tasked with providing all Iranian expatriates with various consular services.
Kanaani further explained that for those who are concerned about entering Iran, a consular system has been set up with the help of relevant entities; so, Iranian expats can put forward their questions and receive answers.
-- Iran-Turkey relations
Iran has a clear position with regard to its relations with Turkey, and yesterday.
Iran hopes to achieve the necessary results within the framework of the ongoing efforts.
Regarding the disputes between Syria and Turkey and the process of normalization and relations between the two sides, Kanaani said that Iran, as a third party, is trying to normalize the relations between the two countries.
Naturally, the two countries have differences, but what is important for us is that the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Syria should be respected by the parties.
Iran, as a country that enjoys good relations with the two sides, is trying to help resolve these disputes, and of course, efforts are underway in the quadrilateral framework of Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.
-- Iran-Iraq security agreement
The details of the agreement are clear, and the Iraqi government and the officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region are committed to fulfilling the provisions of this agreement.
We expect that the Iraqi government will comply with its obligations at a certain time and witness the full implementation of this agreement by the Iraqi government.
-- ‘Iran after building multilateral cooperation’
Regarding the tripartite meeting between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Kanaani said Iran is developing its bilateral relations with regional countries and seeks to form bilateral and multilateral cooperation with those countries.
“Various initiatives have been proposed in this direction, and Iran has also proposed initiatives in accordance with regional conditions and friendly countries,” he said.
He added, “Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are three important regional and Islamic countries that have the capacity to influence the Islamic world. It is possible for these three countries to participate in a tripartite framework.”
Kanaani expressed hopes that the capacity of such cooperation can be used to resolve regional issues.
On the recent visits of Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Lebanon and Syria, Kanaani said Lebanon is an influential regional country that has been unfortunately faced with a political impasse.
“It is important to quickly form a government and remove political obstacles in Lebanon, and in this regard, good consultations and discussions have taken place,” he said.
“Consultations with different political parties are both for a better understanding of those in charge and for helping to resolve Lebanon’s issues,” he added.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman further said that only the Lebanese people will choose the government and president of that country and no foreign party can interfere in the Lebanese affairs.
-- Developments in Bahrain
The spokesman also said that the Islamic Republic received reports of recent developments in Bahrain from various sources; however, Tehran is worried about the circumstances of Bahraini detainees and the issue of prisoners’ hunger strike; so, we urge the Bahraini government to take prompt action and pay heed to the inmates’ demands.
According to the Iranian official, putting pressure on inmates is by no means acceptable, because such pressures are contrary to human rights and standards; thus, the continuation of the current condition and the hunger strike of the prisoners is a source of concern, and we hope that the Bahraini authorities will react.
-- Negotiations with neighboring states
Pointing to certain speculations on secret talks with neighboring states, Kanaani said that secret negotiations are considered part of diplomacy and that we obviously pursue some issues in the defined frameworks, when it comes to relationships with certain regional states, and we will announce the results of the talks; so, this is a normal diplomatic process.
-- Iran’s presence at UNGA
He further mentioned that the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is scheduled to take part in the upcoming annual summit of the United Nations General Assembly and that in accordance with the general principles Iran participates at the presidential level in such meetings; so, the issue will be publicized in the future; however, participation in meetings of the UNGA has been and is important in the eyes of the Islamic Republic.
The usage of the opportunity of the UN General Assembly to hold talks and consult with friends, allied countries, and those who have common interests with the Islamic Republic is a principle for Iran, and the country is serious about taking part in the meeting, he said, adding that more information will be provided as the time of this year’s UN General Assembly approaches.
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