Larijani Deplores US Sanctions against Iran, Russia as Violation of Int’l Law
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani slammed Washington for imposing sanctions against Tehran and Moscow in breach of the international law.
Speaking at a meeting with Russia’s Federation Council (upper house) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Russia on Friday, Larijani pointed to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and said the US has in recent months violated the international deal.
Although the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly confirmed Iran’s commitment to the nuclear deal, the US has backtracked on its obligations, he said.
Larijani further condemned US sanctions imposed on Iran and Russia, saying, “They are contrary to the international law.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian parliamentarian hailed Tehran-Moscow cooperation in the fight against terrorism, particularly in Syria, as very prudent and said the cooperation has had “tangible results”.
Matviyenko, for her part, underlined that the US can adopt unilateral sanctions but other countries will not accept them.
US President Donald Trump has refused to certify the 2015 international nuclear agreement between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany),and warned he might ultimately terminate it, in defiance of other world powers and undermining a landmark victory of multilateral diplomacy.
Trump said on Friday he would choose not to certify that Tehran is complying with the JCPOA.
Iran and the Group 5+1 reached the nuclear deal in July 2015 and implemented it in January 2016.
Under the agreement, certain limits have been put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against Tehran.
In all of its reports after coming into force of the JCPOA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran as well as the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the nuclear deal.
Trump’s administration, which took over in January 2017, one year after the JCPOA came into force, has however slapped sanctions on Iran in violation of the nuclear deal.
