Iranian President: Ball in US’ Court
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The president of Iran lashed out at the current US administration for following its predecessor’s footsteps and imposing fresh sanctions against Tehran amid the talks on the revival of the JCPOA, saying this is Washington that should make up its mind.
Speaking at a press conference at the conclusion of his trip to New York for participation in the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, "Iran stresses that it is not possible to obtain an agreement without closing the Safeguards case that Western countries claim, and Iran is ready to settle these issues at the same time with the nuclear agreement.”
“The fact that Western countries, especially the United States, refuse to accept this is proof that they want to use this issue as a pressure leverage against Iran and we will not accept it at all,” he added.
"We will not allow Safeguards case to be used as leverage on our country," he stated.
Asked about Iran's closeness with Russia and China, Raisi said, "The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is represented in its slogan, ‘Neither Eastern, Nor Western’, and we do not allow anyone to impose control over us, and we do not seek to impose control on others."
"Since most of the attention in the past was focused on Western countries, today the (Iranian) government is trying to find balance and equality in foreign policy, and this is why the level of Iranian relations with countries such as China, Russia and other eastern countries has improved," he noted.
Asked about the solutions for Iran to support the rights of the Palestinian people, President Raisi said, "Experience has proven that the forfeited rights of the Palestinian people cannot be returned through agreements concluded such as Sharm El-Sheikh, Camp David and Oslo, and the Islamic Republic of Iran presented a solution and proposal for this solution, which is fully democratic."
"If Western countries believe in their claim about supporting democracy, they should follow up on this proposal and hold free elections with the participation of all Palestinians, regardless of religion, in order to let them determine their own destiny," he underscored.