Tehran accused the United States and its Western allies of “interfering in Iran’s internal affairs,” with the aim of disrupting the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Addressing the representatives of diplomatic missions in Tehran, as part of the celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said that the “US and the European trio are stuck in delusion and have made a mistake in the calculations.”
He also accused America and its allies of “conspiring” against the Iranian regime, in view of “the progress achieved by the Iranian nation despite the unjust sanctions.”
Raisi’s statements came as his government received strong criticism from Iranian parties, in particular the ultra-conservative camp, because of its failure to implement its economic and foreign policy promises, especially the lifting of sanctions and the revival of the nuclear agreement.
Iran was in fact counting on the prospect of a harsh winter in Europe – which is facing an energy crisis due to the lack of gas supplies from Russia - to get a better deal. However, the gas shortage crisis reared its head inside Iran, as temperatures dropped to record levels.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized the European troika, the United States, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stressing that his country “continues to cooperate with the IAEA.”
In a video message sent on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, he said: “Despite the obstacles and breach of covenants by America and the European trio (France, Germany and Britain), we are still committed to our international pledges.”
He added: “Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA continues, and we insist on technical cooperation and the Agency’s dissociation from political and selective orientations.”
