Iran will stand firmly against any pressure, extravagance, official says

The spokesman said: "The Holy Prophet of Islam is the highest peak of human dignity and values, and this week is a good opportunity for the Islamic Ummah to emphasize commonalities and avoid differences of opinion".

In response to a question about the stance of European countries regarding the recent unrest in Iran and the attack on the Iranian embassy in Denmark and the actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard, this senior Iranian diplomat said: "Unfortunately, we are witnessing the double standard practiced by these countries in the issue of human rights. It is very interesting that at the same time they talk about their opposition to violence and at the same time advise the Iranian government to exercise restraint against those who disturbed public security and avoid violent actions".

Kanaani noted: "Iran has repeatedly said that it listens to protests and criticism and believes in dialogue and will listen to the listeners' words, but Iran, as the guardian of the security of its citizens, cannot stand idly by in the face of chaos and disorder. Protest and riot are two different approaches and have two different results. Those who advise Iran to be non-violent in their own countries allow the outlaws to commit violent acts against Iranian embassies which have diplomatic immunity based on the Vienna Convention, and allow these people to attack Iranian diplomats. In a country that claims to be a sponsor of democracy, they teach us the lessons of democracy and give moral advice on how to interact with citizens. They allow an attacker to enter the embassy with a cold weapon and threaten and attack the Iranian ambassador, who is a woman, and beat up an Iranian employee and then talks about ethical recommendations on how to interact with protesters. Iran has no problem with protest and criticism, but regarding unrest and violence, Iran is obliged to provide security for its citizens".

He said: This is a practice of double standard. That they allow groups that have a history of terrorist acts to operate in countries and take action against Iranian embassies and diplomats. We see something in action and something in words. We recommend that they leave hypocrisy aside and fulfill their legal duties and ensure the safety of our diplomats and adhere to the principles that they advise us in relation to their own citizens and in relation to the citizens of other countries".

Regarding the negotiations to lift the sanctions, the official stated: "The approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran is still to adhere to the path of negotiations in order to achieve a stable agreement that includes the fundamental interests of the Islamic Republic and provides the interests of the Iranian nation and that this agreement is stable and lasting".

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added: "In the recent call between the Foreign Minister and the EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Burrell, this position was re-emphasized that Iran still adheres to the path of negotiations. The views of the other side have been raised and we have heard some voices in the West, Europe or the United States, who connected the process of talks with the recent internal issues in Iran and fueled the spread of false and inaccurate news. The internal issue of Iran is related to the government and people of Iran and we do not allow any country to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran. The topic of the negotiations has a clear framework and Iran's positions have been stated many times and we are ready to move forward in the same direction and reach a comprehensive agreement that will provide the interests of all parties".

Kanaani stated: "Based on mutual respect and interests, we are ready for bilateral interaction with all the parties who were on the path of negotiations, so that the negotiations reach a conclusion. We emphasize that we will stand firmly and decisively against any attempt by the parties, especially the Western parties and the United States, to impose new sanctions and pressure for gaining concession and extravagance, and against any restrictive measures against the nation and government of Iran, and we will respond in a timely manner".

In response to a question, the spokesman said: "We are committed to freeing Iranian citizens, and we emphasize the necessity of unfreezing Iranian assets in South Korea and elsewhere, without any connection to any other issue, and we are following the process of negotiations. Progress has been made in unfreezing some of Iran's blocked properties and we hope to see the release of these properties".

Regarding the action of some European embassies not to issue Schengen visas to Iranian nationals, he said: "Any restrictive action taken in this regard, if it is true, is not an acceptable action, and creating restrictions on the travel of Iranian citizens is contrary to what was announced. Talking about the rights of Iranian people and on the other hand creating restrictions on their travel is a contradictory approach and we hope this news is not true and Iranian citizens travel according to their needs".

In response to a question about the detained Iranian diplomat in Belgium, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that the follow-up on Asadollah Asadi continues and "we have done and will continue to do all the efforts we needed to do in the legal, political and consular fields, and we hope for his release in the shortest possible time".

Regarding the attack on the headquarters of terrorist groups in northern Iraq, Kanaani said: "Iran's action was based on the official and transparent actions that took place before it. As we officially announced, Iran's action in hitting the headquarters of armed opposition and separatist groups in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was a consequence of all the official actions that Iran had taken in advance. That is, the official notification to the authorities of the central government of Iraq that parts of the territory of the region are being used for anti-security measures against Iranian lands and citizens, and official notes were made along with the documents, and the same action was taken regarding the region's authorities. Due to the lack of deterrence measures, Iran took action to uphold its national security, citizens' security and border security. Iran's action was legal based on international regulations and the UN Charter, and such an action has been recognized in international custom."

The official said: "Iran gave a positive response to the Iraqi government's request for dialogue, and last week a meeting was held between the relevant officials in Baghdad, and the details were discussed, and Iran presented its views, and despite the Iranian side's emphasis on respecting Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Iran's expectations were raised to the Iraqi government clearly that it must exercise its sovereignty over its entire land and prevent the conversion of parts of this country's territory to a platform for attacking Iranian borders and border guards.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted: "Iran expressed its views and the Iraqi government listened to the views and gave the necessary promises to Iran. Iran, while maintaining its readiness to defend its security and the security of its borders and its citizens, and maintaining readiness to deal with any illegal actions, at the same time, is waiting for the actions of the Iraqi government to fulfill its responsibilities and fully establish security on the borders of the two countries."

Kanaani also said that the negotiations to lift the sanctions are ongoing and after New York, the exchange of messages continued through intermediaries and the path to negotiation is open and it is possible to reach an agreement based on the negotiations that have been conducted so far and the proposed text that the chief negotiator European presented to the parties that it is possible to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time. In Iran's opinion, it is possible to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time.

Kanaani also said about children with Iranian mothers: "This law has been in effect for more than a year, and some Iranian mothers have succeeded in obtaining Iranian identity documents for their children based on this law and requests to Iranian embassies and get an Iranian passport. This law is in the implementation stage and work is done in our Missions. I do not rule out the possibility that there are complaints about the length of the process, and I cannot confirm that this is a general process or that it has been criticized in a particular office. The vice consular office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is serious. The consular process for authenticating naturally can be a relatively time-consuming process. Because presenting an Iranian identity requires having documents, and these documents and identity documents should be presented and checked in accordance with the details included in the law".

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs talked about the role of some foreign citizens in the recent internal developments of Iran and said: "Investigations are underway. The embassies of these people have been informed. Foreign citizens who are traveling to Iran are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations. Iran is a safe country for tourism and business trips of all foreign citizens and no one will be against them in this regard, and travelers who come to Iran for business and tourism are expected to adhere to Iran's laws and regulations".
He said about the South Caucasus: "Our official position is that the international and geopolitical borders of the region should be respected in any development. This is our official and transparent position. We definitely support the peaceful settlement of the differences between the two countries and the best path is diplomacy and negotiation."

Regarding the warning of some European countries to their citizens to leave Iran and not to travel to Iran, he said: "This is an internal issue related to Iran and Iran has announced its opinion at the highest level. Iran interacts directly and legally with this issue. Iran has announced the results of its technical, medical and specialized investigations. It is rejected and unacceptable for countries to give themselves the right to intervene in Iran's internal affairs under the pretext of an incident inside Iran. Regarding the statements made by some of the foreign ministers, it is interesting that countries are declaring a position regarding the issue of women's rights and human rights in Iran, that not in the distant history but in their contemporary history and in recent months and years, we see disgusting pages in their human rights behavior. Both in relation to their own citizens and female Iranian citizens.

In response to a question about the recent attacks in Afghanistan and the position of Iran and the role of its neighbors in the stability and security of Afghanistan, he said: "We are still witnessing very bitter events in Afghanistan. We all witnessed the very bitter incident of the terrorist act in the educational institution in the west of Kabul less than two weeks ago, and how many oppressed girls and students were killed as a result of the terrorist act, and dozens of people were martyred and injured. It is the responsibility of the governing body of Afghanistan to ensure the security of the people of Afghanistan and it is also the responsibility of human rights institutions. We have always tried in this direction and our relationship with governing body of Afghanistan continues, emphasizing the necessity of forming an inclusive government and trying to meet the economic needs of Afghan citizens and expanding commercial cooperation and meeting basic needs in the fields of food and health and helping the people of Afghanistan in economic conditions."