Zarif warns against human rights status in West

No country in the world could claim perfection in observing human rights, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at an event in the British parliament.

The Iranian chief of diplomacy who is in London to discuss Syrian crisis voiced concern over the breach of human rights in Western countries, ‘especially in the case of the sinister phenomenon of Islamophobia and discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities like Muslims.’

“Unfortunately, the western governments turn blind eyes on the violation of human rights in some countries because of trade ties or the revenues of arm deals with those states,” lamented the Iranian minister.

Referring to the tragic death of more than five thousand pilgrims – nearly 500 of them Iranians – in Saudi Arabia during Hajj rituals in last September, Zarif reminded that Iran did not cut ties with the monarchy keeping in mind that Saudis failed to fulfill the minimum of their responsibilities toward pilgrims.

“In the case of protests against Saudi mission in Tehran which did harm to no Saudi citizen, the Islamic Republic of Iran took the full responsibility in reprimanding the assaulters, but looking for an excuse, Saudis cut diplomatic ties with Tehran,” underlined Zarif.

The foreign minister reiterated that the Saudi regime is the main obstacle to peace and stability in the whole region and voiced Iran’s willingness to fully cooperate with the countries of the region to restore the serenity of the Middle East.