Leader's Top Aide: Iran Not to Accept Defense Restrictions

Rasa - Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is well aware that Tehran will never agree to curb its missile and defense program.

News ID: 436726

Date: 06 March 2018 - 19:01

RNA - "The French foreign minister has visited Iran at an official invitation by his Iranian counterpart and certainly our officials have precisely elaborated on the Islamic Republic of Iran's views and he has been assured that he will not gain anything in violation of Iranians' interest," Velayati told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday.

"The Americans are after imposing defense restrictions on Iran, but the Iranian nation and government will never concede," he added.

Le Drain arrived in Tehran early Monday to hold talks with the Iranian officials on bilateral ties and regional issues.

During his meeting with the Iranian top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to Iran's missile program, and said the issue is not related to the nuclear deal and even resolution 2231.

"The US and other countries which have turned our region into a gunpowder store by selling weapons should end these moves," he said.

"Iran's military power is aimed at defending the country and deterrence and given the bitter experience of the imposed war (by Iraq in 1980s), Iran has learned to rely on its deterrence power to defend its citizens," Zarif underscored.

Also during his meeting with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani, the Iranian official underlined the need for the European states to speed up full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, warning them not to be influenced by President Trump's psychological game.

"The logic behind any international agreement is the support of all sides and the international community for it and demanding one side to stay committed, while showing indifference to another side's defiance is not acceptable," Shamkhani said on Monday.

According to Fars News Agancy, he also welcomed expansion of bilateral political and economic ties between Tehran and Paris, and stressed the necessity for accelerating removal of remaining obstacles on the way of banking exchanges after the nuclear deal.

"Failure of the nuclear deal will discredit international agreements and the logic of talks to resolve the global issues," Shamkhani said.

"Europe's policy of making concessions to the US to keep it in the nuclear deal is incorrect and means passivity and surrendering to Trump's psychological game," he added.

Shamkhani also described reinvigoration of Iran's defense capabilities, specially the missile power, as an inevitable necessity of its deterrence policy, and said, "Iran's defense power is no threat to any country and its development is not affected by the political factors and depends on the security needs and potential threats against the country."

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