Top Security Official Warns Europe against Playing US-Israeli Game

TEHRAN (defapress)- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned the European countries against playing into the hands of Washington and Tel Aviv as European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal proposed fresh sanctions against Tehran under the US pressure.

News ID: 69268

Date: 18 March 2018 - 17:50

"Defense capabilities, particularly the missile program of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have a deterrent nature, will firmly be continued based on national security necessities," Shamkhani said in a meeting with Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi in Tehran on Saturday.

"Political and media propaganda will have no impact on their development," he added.

Britain, France and Germany have proposed new EU sanctions on Iran over its missile program and its regional role, a confidential document said on Friday.

The joint paper was sent to the EU capitals to sound out support for such sanctions as they would need the backing of all 28 member states of the bloc, Reuters quoted two people familiar with the matter as saying.

The proposal is allegedly part of an EU strategy to appease US President Donald Trump and preserve the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Tehran and the Group 5+1 of countries (the US, Russia, Britain, France and China plus Germany) in 2015 amid constant US threats to withdraw from it.

Shamkhani said US failure to fulfill its obligations and its illegal approach to the JCPOA as well as Europe's passivity with regard to Washington's approaches clearly show that regional countries need to focus on finding a solution to the ongoing issues and crises in the region by themselves.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a proper and due response to the US constant violations of its commitments under the JCPOA and will accept no change, interpretation or new measure that would limit the JCPOA," the SNSC secretary said.

His comments came a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned the US against the "painful mistake" of pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement.

"Considering what has been envisaged in the JCPOA in the field of research and development and the Islamic Republic of Iran's continued measures to develop its peaceful nuclear capability, if the US makes the mistake of exiting the JCPOA, it will definitely be a painful mistake for the Americans," Zarif told reporters.