Iran embassy in India rejects Rubio’s claims, blames US and ‘Zionist regime’ for regional instability
text_fields
New Delhi: The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India on Sunday rejected recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing him of seeking to “distort the realities of the region” and divert attention from what Tehran described as the destabilising policies of the United States and the “Zionist regime.”
In an official statement the embassy said Rubio’s comments were an attempt to deflect scrutiny from US actions, and reiterated that Iran — a major oil and energy exporter — has been willing to supply energy to other countries, including India. The statement blamed US sanctions on Iranian oil for disrupting the global energy market and said sanctions form part of a wider pattern of hostile measures imposed on Iran over the past 47 years, at times affecting access to medicines and medical equipment.
The embassy also accused the United States and Israel of fomenting instability in the region and endangering maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz through “military, provocative and adventurist actions.” It defended Iran’s nuclear programme as peaceful and subject to International Atomic Energy Agency oversight, saying the peaceful use of nuclear technology is a legitimate, inalienable right that Iran will not forgo.
Tehran’s statement said Iran had withstood pressure and military aggression from the US and Israel, and warned that its armed forces remain in “full readiness” to respond to any threat to the country’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The embassy issued the response after Rubio said indirect talks aimed at ending the US Iran conflict had shown “some progress” but insisted the United States would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon or to unlawfully control the Strait of Hormuz.
(Inputs from IANS)