Call for Europe’s Alertness as US Pushes Anti-Iran Agenda

A senior lawmaker warned that the United States is making all-out efforts to encourage European countries to link the 2015 nuclear agreement to Iran's missile development and regional activities, urging Europe's alertness in the face of the hostile drive.

Deputy Majlis Speaker Ali Motahhari made the comments on Sunday in an interview with IRNA amid the US lobbying efforts against Iran's missile activities, Press TV reported.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has for months been threatening to quit the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, if its "disastrous flaws" in the deal are not fixed.

Trump said on January 12 he wanted America's European allies to use the 120-day period before sanctions relief again comes up for renewal to agree to tougher measures and new conditions, otherwise Washington would pull out of the deal.

Washington has repeatedly claimed that Iran's missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.

  Separate Issues

Motahhari rejected the US claims and said, "The JCPOA has nothing to do with the strengthening of Iran's defense system."

"Europeans must be vigilant not to be deceived by the US," he added.

The legislator emphasized that the Islamic Republic has no obligation to "stop its missile activities" and said the US is making futile efforts in this regard.

Addressing a lunch meeting with envoys from UNSC member states last Monday, the US president accused Iran once again of destabilizing the Middle East and providing Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah fighters with ballistic missiles.

On Dec. 14, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley presented a charred tube and other material that she claimed were debris from an Iranian-made ballistic missile fired from Yemen at King Khalid International Airport near the Saudi capital Riyadh, on Nov. 4. She claimed the "evidence" proved Iran's violation of UN resolutions banning the transfer of weapons to Houthis, who have been fighting back a Saudi-led aggression with allied Yemeni army troops and tribal fighters since March 2015.

Both Iran and Houthis have denied that the missile fired was supplied by Iran.

A few days later, she said the Security Council could strengthen the provisions in Resolution 2231, which was approved in July 2015 to endorse the nuclear deal, or adopt a new resolution banning Tehran from all activities related to ballistic missiles.

  Fake News

Following Trump's accusation, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US president is resorting to "fake evidence" to spread Iranophobia.

"In the fake news department, Trump & Co. attempt to create an Iranophobic narrative at the UN Security Council—through wining and dining and fake evidence provided by a warring neighbor," Zarif said in a post on his Twitter account.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi also said last week that the United States and other countries producing and exporting lethal arms are in no position to express opinion about Tehran's defense prowess.

"The US and some countries, which are producing and exporting deadly weapons, cannot export destructive weaponries worth hundreds of billions of dollars to this sensitive region through deceitful [approaches] and pass judgment about Iran's defense might at the same time."