Iran Warns France Not to Come under Saudi Influence

France is expected not to be swayed by the anti-Iran allegations raised by Saudi Arabia’s inexperienced and hawkish crown prince, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said, noting that the hostile stances against Tehran result from its successful role in the fight against terrorism.

News ID: 69697

Date: 13 April 2018 - 18:12

TEHRAN (Defapress) “France, as one of the (Group) 5+1 members, was not expected to be influenced by the repetitive and utterly untrue insinuations and accusations of Saudi Arabia, which has always acted against the JCPOA, and has spent huge sums of money and put his country up for sale in a bid to impede the implementation of the nuclear deal,” Bahram Qassemi said Thursday, in response to the anti-Iran allegations raised in a joint statement by France and Saudi Arabia at the conclusion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trip to Paris.

“Unlike the claim made in the statement, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always taken steps towards ensuring the stability and security of the regional countries and fighting terrorism and terrorist groups, and believes the only way to restore security and tranquility to West Asia is to hold dialogue among the countries in the region,” Foreign Ministry website quoted him as saying.

“France should know that the opposition such as that expressed against Iran (in the statement) emanates from some countries’ anger over Iran’s triumph in the war on the terrorism bred by them,” Qassemi underscored.

On Iran’s missile program, the spokesman said, “French authorities probably know that Iran’s missile program is deterrent and defensive, and is not against the security and interests of any country and is simply based on our bitter but valuable past experience in order to ensure the country’s security and prevent aggression and encroachment by any aggressor beset by wishful thinking.”

“It is definitely a domestic issue, and no country will be allowed to interfere in that.”

Rejecting the allegations that Iran is supplying arms to some groups and countries in the region, Qassemi noted, “Given the public opinion in France, French officials had better rethink their policies on selling Saudi Arabia arms which will be used in Riyadh’s aggression against Yemen and slaughtering innocent people and which have resulted in human catastrophe in today’s world.”

“French officials had better not allow their historical and cultural relationship with an ancient, age-old and noble nation like Iran to be affected by the claims and adventurism of the inexperienced, proud and bellicose Saudi crown prince, who is being prosecuted in France on charges of genocide in Yemen,” he noted.

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