EU Urged to Adopt Constructive Policy on Iran

Tehran encouraged the European Union to adopt a constructive approach on Iran, since coercive measures would not serve their interests, a senior diplomat said. 
“Iran’s position is holding talks based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a regular press briefing on Monday, ISNA reported.
He added that the Islamic Republic does not wish to resort to confrontation with the EU and engage in a process of reciprocation. 
The remarks came as Europe, along with the United States, has imposed a set of sanctions and is considering further bans on Iran over what they called a nationwide crackdown on protestors following the death of a young girl in police custody.
This is while Tehran blames the west for provoking and fueling violence among rioters who have been going on a rampage across the country, attacking security officers, resorting to vandalism against public property, and desecrating religious sanctities.
Kanaani described western countries’ moves as unconstructive and rooted in their wrong understanding of Iran’s domestic developments. 
He stressed that coercive measures that have been already experienced would not serve the interests of the Europe and the United States. 
“By adopting such approach, Iran would not be harmed alone, but they will be substantially afflicted as well,” he said. 
The diplomat advised Europe to avoid tying its interests to the US and act independently. 
“Our advice to Europe is that they … do not bet wrongly on Iran’s domestic developments and take the course of constructive interaction,” he said. 
If they use the means of sanctions, Iran will take reciprocal action and use its available tools, as it has before, he added. 
Tehran has introduced a set of sanctions on European individuals and entities in response to their illegal restrictive measures. 
The EU is also examining whether to classify the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, according to Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. 
Kanaani said such a move would be a continuation of their irresponsible actions with regard to Iran. 
“The IRGC is an official military organization of the Islamic Republic and such a measure is completely illegal,” he said. 
He hoped that the German government and other European states would not sacrifice their mutual interests for the sake of temporary political interests and emotional decisions. 

Hypocritical Claims 

Women foreign ministers from a dozen nations led by Canada's Melanie Joly have also jointly condemned what they claimed as Iran's violent crackdown on women's rights. 
Kanaani said those who speak about women’s rights in Iran now never talked about the effects of US unilateral sanctions and Europe’s abidance of the hostile policies on Iranian women and children. 
Iran has been under severe US sanctions since 2018, when Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal unilaterally. 
“Their claims today is hypocritical and their remarks about Iranian women and ethnic groups are unrealistic,” he said. 
Western countries’ meddlesome, illegal and unconstructive positions have been provocative and irresponsible and contributed to chaos and turmoil in the country, he added. 
Kanaani later described New Zealand’s decision to suspended its official bilateral human rights dialogue with Iran as “Irresponsible, emotional and politically-motivated”. 
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement the decision to suspend the dialogue sends a strong signal that bilateral approaches on human rights were not tenable with Iran denying basic human rights and violently suppressing protests.
“We hope that New Zealand’s government would take bilateral interests in to account and adopt a constructive approach based on mutual interests,” he said.  

Upside-down Version

Kanaani was also asked about the US and certain European governments’ intention to hold an informal meeting at United Nations Security Council to discuss the recent violent riots across Iran. 
Kanaani said the meeting is part of the US interventionist moves with regard to Iran’s internal developments with the aim of imposing political pressure on the country. 
“By showing an upside-down version of realities, the American media empire tries to prepare the political atmosphere for such a meeting,” he said. 
The gathering is set to be held by the US and Albania on Wednesday, according to a note outlining the event, and some Iranian-born foreign citizens are set to brief. 
Independent UN investigator on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, is also due to address the meeting, which can be attended by other UN member states and rights groups.
Kanaani said those attendants, who despite their Iranian nationality, never reacted to the US illegal sanctions on the nation, are now invited to speak against Iran. 
He also censured Javaid Rehman for his “anti-Iran” approach. 
Referring to the UN nuclear watchdog’s recent call on Iran to cooperate, the spokesman said the agency and its director general need to avoid politicization. 
He International Atomic Energy Agency has claimed it has found uranium traces at undeclared sites in Iran, on which Tehran needs to explain. The agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi has so far dismissed Iran’s explanations as uncredible. He has recently urged Iran to meet its commitments. 
“Certainly if the agency avoids politicization, issues can be resolved through technical negotiations between Iran and the IAEA,” he said.