Iran vows retaliation in event of new EU sanctions: Amir-Abdollahian
Iranian FM, in a phone call with his Portuguese counterpart, reiterates that Iran has not provided any warring side with weapons for use in the Ukraine war.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian condemned during a phone call with the Foreign Minister of Portugal, Joao Gomes Cravinho, the foreign intervention in Iran's internal affairs that instigated terrorists and rioters in the country by labeling them as protesters.
Read more: Iranian, Irish foreign ministers hold call on recent riots in Iran
The Foreign Minister added that the country is “confronting terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, Jaish ul-Adl and Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) in the west and the east. Moreover, we have seen the smuggling of weapons into the country from the western and eastern borders in recent weeks.”
Amir-Abdollahian also warned that Iran will respond to sanctions imposed by foreign states. "They have even put the subject of issuing resolutions or sanctions in the next meeting of the European Union’s Council of Ministers on their agenda. If such measure takes place, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take retaliatory action," he stressed.
Read more: UN Secretary-General lauds Iran's role in regional peace, security
The top diplomat denied allegations that Iran is supplying weapons to Russia during the war in Ukraine, adding that Iran did not provide any side of the conflict with arms to be used in the war, stressing that the Islamic Republic sees that providing weapons to any side will extend the war in Ukraine, whereas it (the war) is not an appropriate solution in any part of the world, citing examples of Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan, as well as Ukraine.
Read more: Iranian FM: Iran backs any political solution to Ukraine crisis
With regards to the JCPOA, the Foreign Minister stressed the need to close the case of the allegations made by the International Atomic Energy Organization regarding Iran's nuclear program, while noting that the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization and the director general of the IAEA are carrying out constructive talks.
The historically good relations between Portugal and Iran were brought up by the Portugues FM, as he asked that Iran continue cooperation in order to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine while praising Iran's position in cooperating with the United Nation's nuclear agency and the continuation of nuclear talks.