The advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated Iran’s commitment to the cause of providing diplomatic backing for Yemen, which has been pounded by a Saudi-led campaign of airstrikes for over two months.
“Iran has spared no effort to provide non-weapons aid to Yemen,” Ali Akbar Velayati said, adding, “As the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said the Yemeni nation does not need arms.”
“We defend the Yemeni people in the diplomatic arena as well.” He made the remarks in a live interview with state TV on Sunday.
Denouncing the Saudi air raids on Yemen, Velayati was quoted by IRNA as saying, “The raids are being carried out as part of an American-Israeli plot to create tension and wage war in the region to weaken Muslim countries with the aim of putting their puppets in control.”
He referred to the countries which collaborated with Israel’s move to trigger regional crises, saying, “The United States and Israel have deployed thousands of terrorists in Syria to help topple the government” and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have always been subservient to the US by funding the terrorists.
“The West attempted to highjack the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia,” he noted.
Elsewhere, referring to the ongoing negotiations with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) aimed at settling a 12-year dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, Velayati said, “The Islamic Republic wants the talks to produce (desirable) results because fruitless negotiations are of no value.”
Noting that the negotiators are trying to safeguard the country’s rights, he urged them to remain vigilant. He underlined Iran’s distrustful attitude toward the US, saying, “We do not trust the words and actions of American statesmen.”
“The United States has frequently changed its policy … and tone despite what has been agreed on,” Velayati said, pointing to Washington’s “excessive” demands.
Iran will never let the other side undermine its might on the pretext of inspecting military facilities under a prospective nuclear accord, he stressed, adding, “The inspectors of the (International Atomic Energy) Agency have been frequently seen to be acting based on what US intelligence services dictate.”
Allowing access to nuclear scientists for interview is ruled out, he added. “As it was emphasized in the Leader’s remarks, Iran will not let UN inspectors humiliate our nuclear scientists,” by questioning them.
