Spokesman Rejects NATO’s ‘Unfounded’ Anti-Iran Allegations
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi dismissed as “repetitive” and “baseless” the anti-Iran allegations raised in a statement released at a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels.
“As in the past, we reject and condemn the repetitive accusations about Iran mentioned in the (NATO) statement,” Qassemi said on Thursday.
“We closely monitored the developments and topics at the meeting, especially the US’s behavior and pressures on members of this treaty (NATO),” he added.
“Unfortunately, although most of NATO’s spending goes to the (provision of) security for the US, this country arrogantly seeks to impose its opinions and policies on other nations, especially on European countries, by exerting pressure (on them).”
“It is surprising that some still insist on repeating unsubstantiated and baseless allegations regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policies,” Qassemi said.
The spokesman further emphasized that NATO member states' concerns about Iran's missile program are completely unwarranted.
The missile program of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not only not in violation of Resolution 2231, but is completely conventional and defensive, he said.
As for Iran’s nuclear activities, Qassemi stressed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as the only specialized international authority on nuclear issues, has always confirmed the peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear program.
In a statement on Thursday, NATO member states claimed that Iran's activities were "inconsistent" with UN Resolution 2231 adopted in 2015 to endorse the country's nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and took the country to task over its "support to a variety of armed non-state actors."
On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
Since the historic deal was signed in Vienna, the IAEA has repeatedly confirmed the Islamic Republic’s compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, but some other parties, especially the US, have failed to live up to their undertakings.
