Western States Seeking Excuses to Pressure Iran

A lawmaker dismissed fresh terror- and missile-related western allegations made against Iran in a recent meeting of the United Nations Security Council as an excuse to pressure the Islamic Republic.

“The propaganda and remarks by western countries in the UN Security Council’s meeting are only meant as a pretext to increase pressure on Iran,” Hossein Naqavi Hosseini also told ICANA on Sunday.

He was responding to remarks by western ambassadors to the UN in the council’s Wednesday meeting, who had accused Iran of undermining regional security. 

Britain’s envoy Matthew Rycroft hailed Iran’s adherence to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, but called for new sanctions on the Islamic Republic to punish its missile activities.

“Away from the nuclear file, Iran continues to play a destabilizing role in the region. This is most clearly seen in Syria,” Rycroft said in a statement. 

“We remain concerned by Iran’s ballistic missile program and we urge all member states to continue to enforce the sanctions regime on ballistic missile technology, and to act on and report all suspected violations.” 

Rycroft criticized Iran for allegedly supplying arms to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“Iran continues to provide substantial military and financial support to Hezbollah and the Syrian regime,” he claimed.

Tehran has denied allegations of arms support, saying its role in the Syria war, now in its sixth year, is confined to providing military advice to government troops, which are fighting a patchwork of armed militant groups that demand Assad’s ouster.

Outgoing US Ambassador Samantha Power made similar allegations and reiterated the West’s stance that Iran’s missile activities are a violation of a resolution adopted by the UNSC to endorse the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, days after it was announced.

“We on the council need to come together to push Iran to effectively implement the binding provisions of Resolution 2231, especially restrictions that ban Iran’s export of arms and related material,” said Power. 

The resolution calls upon Iran to refrain from any activity related to developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

  Plan to Contain Tehran’s Clout  

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful applications and that none of its missiles has been designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

Major powers agree that the request in the resolution is not legally binding, but western nations consider it a ban and say there is a “political obligation” on Iran to comply. 

Hosseini said, “As Iran has fulfilled all its JCPOA commitments, westerners … are looking for excuses to accuse it of breaching the deal.”

Ardeshir Nourian, another member of parliament, said the allegations are aimed at curbing Iran’s growing regional clout.

“The US and its allies are trying to limit the Islamic Republic’s activities in the region because Iran has emerged as an influential country in the region in recent years,” he said.

Lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh described the new wave of accusations as part of the West’s attempt to prevent Iran from reaping the benefits of the nuclear deal.