Senior MP defends Foreign Ministry decision to expel Dutch diplomats

TEHRAN (defapress) – Chairman of National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iranian Parliament said that Foreign Ministry's move to expel two Dutch diplomats from Tehran is ‘defendable’.

News ID: 76009

Date: 06 March 2019 - 11:13

Referring to the recall of Dutch ambassador to his country, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh told ISNA that, “just like the past [years] that Europeans returned their ambassadors to Iran, the Dutch ambassador too will be back in Iran without invitation.”

Iran has expelled two Dutch diplomats declaring them as persona non grata. The Netherlands on Monday recalled its ambassador to Iran for consultations, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said, according to Reuters.

Falahatpisheh also noted that European countries have failed to implement their commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), adding, “meanwhile, the Netherlands is trying to gain the US favor; especifically with the idea that its move would [hopefully] lead to a collective action in favor of the Netherlands. But this will not happen.”

“As the Leader of Islamic Revolution once said, we have adopted alternative policies based on ties with neighboring and regional countries. Currently, our policies don’t consider a special position for European countries, let alone the Netherlands.”

Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that the expulsion was done to retaliate earlier illegal expelling of Iranian diplomats from the Netherlands.

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