Rafsanjani condemns UNSC sanctions

Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has condemned the latest UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions resolution against Iran.

On Wednesday, twelve Security Council members, including Russia and China, voted on a US-proposed resolution for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran. Brazil and Turkey voted against the resolution while Lebanon abstained from voting.

“Nowadays, we can see new things in the way arrogant powers treat the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Hashemi-Rafsanjani told Expediency Council members on Sunday.

“Unbelievable things happened just ahead of the issuance of the fourth round of sanctions against Iran,” he went on to say.

“Iran expressed readiness to swap uranium following the Tehran declaration. Talks were expected to begin, but the Vienna Group failed to respond until after the UNSC sanctions resolution,” he further explained.

According to the Iranian official, the Vienna Group’s response was unusual as they did not accept the Tehran declaration for unfounded reasons.

“All these things may be (deliberate) psychological warfare to make us give in, but they should know that Iran will never surrender,” Hashemi-Rafsanjani concluded.