Iran rejects talks with EU over Tehran Middle East influence

Iran has rejected reports that Tehran and several EU nations have begun negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s role in the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi made the remarks early on Sunday, noting that despite the fact that Iran and the EU have been negotiating about various regional subjects for decades, no discussions have been held over Tehran’s regional influence.

“Without a doubt this topic is not a new or odd one, but we reject these claims concerning an agreement for talks based on a definite framework,” he said.

Qassemi added that Tehran and several EU nations did hold talks on the sidelines of the recent Munich conference about the situation in Yemen, however he stressed that the talks were focused on the subject of aid delivery and ending Saudi Arabia’s war on it impoverished neighbor.

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Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of the Riyadh regime.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country’s infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million people are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman made the remarks after several western diplomats claimed that Europe and Iran have commenced talks on Tehran’s role in the Middle East.