The ambassador to China said Tehran is prepared to address the "challenge" of terrorism which has afflicted the world.
Ali Asghar Khaji said Tehran has "a strong will in fighting terrorism," adding, "The really effective way to address terrorism is to deal with the root causes that produce terrorism."
Providing evidence of Iran's resolve, he pointed to the cooperation with governments in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in their campaigns against terrorism.
The veteran diplomat made the remarks in a recent interview with the Global Times daily ahead of a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Iran.
He attributed the emergence of terrorism in the region mainly to "the interference by major western powers."
"We have an issue with the West. The truth is that they divide terrorism into good and bad terrorism. When it is fitting their interests, they cooperate with terrorism; when it comes against their interests, they hit and fight terrorism. A big part of the ammunition and weapons used by IS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) right now are actually those which have come into their hands directly or indirectly through third countries," he noted.
Khaji has been the ambassador to China since August last year. Before that he served as deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs for two years where he oversaw the interaction with Europe and the Americas. He had previously served as Iran's envoy to the European Union in Brussels from 2008 to 2012.
Sino Ties
With regard to Sino-Iranian ties, Khaji said both Tehran and Beijing "have had no challenging issue between them throughout their history," however, he cautioned against efforts that might be seeking to undermine those relations.
He praised what he called "the very constructive role" of China in the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany).
The diplomat also criticized "double standards" adopted by some countries over Iran's peaceful nuclear program. "Throughout the history of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has been the only country which has had the highest level of cooperation with it, more than any other country. And yet we are under sanctions. We are ready to do clarification over our peaceful nuclear activities. We are a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We know that we have to fulfill our obligations. We also believe that we should benefit from our rights under the NPT. We are expecting to reach a fair solution to solve the nuclear issue in a fair and just manner," he noted.
In response to a question about repeated meetings between Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry in recent months despite the fact that Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for more than three decades, Khaji said any discussion held between Iranian and American diplomats has been "merely within the framework of the Iranian nuclear issue."
Oil Plunge
Khaji also touched on the impact of falling oil prices on the Iranian economy and said, "All oil-producing countries have been affected by this condition. The importers of oil may benefit from it in the short run. But, probably in the long run, even the importers will suffer because the instability of oil prices will seriously affect the production trend."
Crude oil has lost about 50 percent of its value since June last year amid mounting evidence that global supply is far outstripping demand.
He said, "If anyone is under the impression that by pushing down oil prices and putting pressure on Iran, they are able to force Iran to give in, I can only say they are committing this historical mistake once again."
