Iran’s FM spokesman: Voice of Bahraini people should be heard

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran believes that voice of people should be heard in Bahrain and the votes of majority should be respected instead of suppressing them.

He made the remarks while talking to reporters during a joint seminar by foreign, defense and interior ministries at the sideline of an exhibition on achievements of the Islamic system under the Constitution here on Wednesday.

Mehmanparast said Iran will help nations achieve their rights and will make great efforts to that end.

Asked to comment on the start of a new round of US sanctions against Iran, he said the new sanctions will be effective as of February 6, forcing the countries which purchase the Iranian oil not to pay cash to Tehran but provide commodities instead.

He said all anti-Iran moves are because of the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program while enemies have not been successful in providing any documents proving Iran’s deviation from peaceful purposes.

He said such pressures will not discourage the Iranian nation and the government is finding ways to bypass sanctions.

He referred to the recent remarks of the US Vice President Joe Biden on Washington’s readiness for direct bilateral talks with Iran and said if Americans have come to the conclusion that they need to talk with Iran, then it should not be under pressures and sanctions.

Pointing to imposing sanctions, crossing the name of the terrorist Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) from the list of terrorist organizations and arrest of a number of Iranian nationals by the US, he said such a contradiction will make dialogue futile but if they are serious about their proposal then Iran is fully ready to carry out talks on certain issues provided Iran is treated respectfully and from a balanced position free from sanctions and pressures.