Iran warns N Korea of US breach of promise

Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Ghasemi touched upon US pullout from JCPOA and the withdrawal of some European companies from Iran, saying “European companies have a 90-day and 120-day grace period until the re-imposition of sanctions; we should wait and see what is going to happen regarding Iran’s talks with foreign partners.”

Regarding the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, Ghasemi said “our principled position on the Korean Peninsula is clear; Islamic Republic of Iran seeks peace, stability and security in the region, and welcomes every step they take along this path.” However, he added, since US has a long history of broken promises of international treaties, we believe that the North Korean government should be cautious of US repetitive failures to fulfill its obligations and pledges.

Foreign Ministry spokesman noted that “optimistic look at the nature of US policy is beyond the bounds of possibility, and the recent violations also confirm this.”

We support lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, however, we are pessimistic towards American treatment and behavior in international field, Ghasemi noted.

Pointing to Iran-Russia consultations on the Syrian crisis and its future, Ghasemi said talks are ongoing, and most recently, the presidents of the two countries met and talked on the sidelines SCO summit in China about regional issues, especially the issue of Syria.

He stressed that Iran fights against terrorism and brings peace, stability and security to Syria. “With the efforts made by the Islamic Republic, Syria has witnessed notable development and success in the fight against terrorism.”

Regarding the regular meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Tehran, he said “following the US pullout from nuclear deal, the first Joint Commission meeting took place in Vienna on 16 March 2018. This was the 8th meeting of the Joint Commission since JCPOA Implementation Day (16 January 2016), where all the remaining parties to Iran nuclear deal vowed to save the nuclear pact in the face of US unlawful withdrawal from it and reinstating anti-Iran sanctions. Two weeks later, he added, the meeting was held in Tehran at expert level, where the sides discussed the future of JCPOA and what measure to take so that other members could do could fulfill their commitment to Iran nuclear deal.

Touching upon the relations between the Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia, he said “Saudi Arabia has adopted adventurous and hostile policies towards Iran and is always trying to pursue a number of measures to promote Iranophobia across the world. Unfortunately, he said, we have got some information about their efforts in the form of psychological warfare against Iran.

Regarding Saudi Arabia’s ties with the Zionist regime, he added “it is clear that they are trying to openly or covertly satisfy the authorities of that regime, because the Saudis will spare no effort to hit Iran, by any means.