President Rouhani: israel Illegitimate Regime

“Because Mr. President (Alain Berset) referred to the issue of the Zionist regime (during the press conference), I underline that I have clearly said in my yesterday talks with him that Iran considers the Zionist regime as illegitimate and considers its activities in the region as aggressive,” President Rouhani said at a joint press conference with his Swiss counterpart Berset in Bern on Tuesday.

He added that during his talks with the Swiss president, both sides have also underlined the necessity for all countries to respect the international agreements and the UN Security Council approvals, specially resolution 2231 which emphasizes implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers.

“Both countries believed that the nuclear deal was an important political achievement after long and intense negotiations whose survival will benefit Iran’s ties with other countries and the international security and peace,” President Rouhani said.

He also underscored the two countries’ determination to develop relations in the financial, banking, trade, investment, tourism, scientific and cultural fields.

“Both countries are determined to overcome the possible problems which might be posed to their trade relations in the next few months,” President Rouhani said.

Before holding a press conference, the Iranian and Swiss presidents signed several cooperation agreements in different political, economic and cultural fields.

Meantime, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who accompanies Rouhani during his Switzerland visit wrote on his twitter page earlier today that “we share views on our commitment to the nuclear deal and will continue consultations on the region”.

Rouhani arrived in Zurich at the head of a high ranking political and economic delegation Monday evening on an official visit at the invitation of his Swiss counterpart.

Rouhani in a meeting with Berset lashed out at Washington for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, describing it as an indication of the US disrespect for all international commitments.

During the meeting in Bern on Monday night, President Rouhani termed the nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral and international pact, saying that the United States, by unilaterally withdrawing from the deal, showed that it had no respect for its international commitments.

Elsewhere, he underscored that there are no obstacles to the promotion of Tehran-Bern ties, and that both countries are determined to make further use of the existing capacities in line with their bilateral cooperation.

Iran and Switzerland have always enjoyed friendly relations, something that has laid the groundwork for broadening of bilateral ties in various arenas, Rouhani said, calling for more efforts to be made in this respect.

He underlined the necessity for both countries to hold more consultations on major regional and international issues, and said the Islamic Republic has never initiated tension in the region and its foreign policy is based on cooperation and friendship with its neighbors.

Berset, for his part, described Tehran-Bern relations as good and growing in various sectors such as scientific cooperation and implementation of joint projects.

He voiced Switzerland’s support for the JCPOA, and said the deal has been signed after long negotiations and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and therefore all countries should try to preserve it.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that the US would no longer remain part of the JCPOA and promised to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran in response to Tehran’s development of its nuclear program.

After Trump’s declaration, the Iranian government issued a statement, calling the US withdrawal as “unlawful”. The statement underlined Iran’s prerequisites for continuing the deal with the five world powers after the US pullout of the agreement.

“Iran, as a country that has remained committed to its legal obligations, will pursue the US Government’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA as provided by the mechanisms and provisions of the accord, and if the US withdrawal is not fully compensated and the full interests of the Iranian people are not met and guaranteed – as stated in the accord and as outlined by Iran’s Leader on 9 May – it will exercise its legal right to take whatever reciprocal measures it deems expedient. Other parties to the JCPOA, and especially its three European signatories, must take necessary action to safeguard the accord and to implement their commitments – which they proved incapable of fully performing even while the US was nominally a party to the deal, due to the obstructions by the Trump Administration – and to proceed from giving pledges to taking practical action without any preconditions,” it said.

“None of the provisions or timeframes within the JCPOA, which were the subject of twelve years of negotiations, are negotiable in any manner. The US, which has through its meddling and erroneous policies ignited extremism, terrorism, destruction, war and child killing in our region, is in no position to issue any diktat about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful presence within its own region nor its effective support for the peoples of Syria and Iraq in their endeavor to fight extremists. The US and its allies, which through their support for the regime of Saddam Hussein, including equipping it with chemical weapons and the most advanced military equipment while blocking Iran’s access to any means of defense victimized the Iranian people for eight years, and currently turning our region into a powder keg through their sale of hundreds of billions of dollars of useless advanced weaponry devouring the financial resources of the region, are in no position to impose restrictions on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful means of defense, including defensive ballistic missiles which have been designed to carry conventional weapons based on the bitter experiences of the war with the regime of Saddam Hussein. Indeed, such efforts explicitly violate the principles of international law, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s legitimate right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter,” it added.

“As announced by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 8 May, the Foreign Minister has been tasked with the duty of taking the necessary measures to obtain required guarantees from the remaining parties to the JCPOA as well as Iran’s other economic partners, and to immediately report the results of this mission. Meanwhile, the President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has been tasked with taking all necessary steps in preparation for Iran to pursue industrial-scale enrichment without any restrictions, using the results of the latest research and development of Iran’s brave nuclear scientists.”

“The people of Iran will with calm and confidence continue their path towards progress and development and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has foreseen all necessary measures to facilitate this under any circumstances,” the statement continued.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a secure and powerful state, which derives its security and economic development from within, relying on the prudent participation and resilience of its brave and civilized people, seeks constructive and dignified engagement with the world, and as shown by its implementation of the JCPOA despite the United States’ continuous violations, is a trustworthy and committed partner for all who are prepared to cooperate on the basis of shared interests and mutual respect,” it reiterated.