News Desk |
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, pressed Russia and China to undertake “concrete actions” to preserve the 2015 Nuclear Deal and warned that “dangerous” consequences would ensue if tensions with the US escalate further.
Over the past few days, a military stand-off between Washington and Tehran has been observed as US continues to assemble more nuclear weapons in its bases across the Middle East. Only last week, US used alleged threats from Iran as a pretext to deploy B-52 nuclear bombers and an aircraft carrier group in the Gulf.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Zarif, has urged the international community to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal signed between Iran, United States, France, Britain, Russia, and China.
During his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, on Friday, Zarif urged, “Iran and China need to think together and work together about preserving a multilateral global order and avoiding a unilateral global order.”
US Deploying Military Hardware
Al Jazeera reported that the Washington has recently approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defense battery, along with a nuclear warship in the Middle East. Pentagon issued a statement in this regards, “The Acting Secretary of Defense has approved the movement of USS Arlington (LPD-24) and a Patriot battery to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of the command’s original request for forces from earlier this week.”
The Arlington is responsible for transporting vehicles and marines along with the Patriot Missiles, and CNN reports that it is all set to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which made its way past the Suez Canal on Thursday, sailing presently through the Red Sea.
Read more: A potential confrontation
Washington has stated that “heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations” is prompting US to respond by deploying its weapons of mass destruction to the region. Earlier last week, the US State Department had ordered a partial evacuation from its US embassy and consulate in Iraq, citing “imminent” threats from Iraqi militias harboring close ties with Iran, reported AFP.
Iran Urges International Community to Save JCPOA
Iranian Foreign Minister, Zarif, has urged the international community to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal signed between Iran, United States, France, Britain, Russia, and China.
In principle, the nuclear deal curbed Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange of reduced international sanctions. However, in 2018, US President Donald Trump dismissed JCPOA and began imposing unfair sanctions on Iran.
Tehran Times quoted Safari’s observation as saying, “The Americans are pursuing a maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic in order to force Iran back to the negotiating table.”
AFP cited Iranian Foreign Minister’s remarks, “So far the international community has mostly released statements rather than taking action. If the international community and other JCPOA member countries and our friends in the JCPOA like China and Russia want to keep this achievement, it is required that they make sure the Iranian people enjoy the benefits of the JCPOA with concrete actions.”
Last week, Zarif had hailed Russia and China as true friends of Iran for their consistent support and aiding Tehran in preserving the nuclear deal, while accusing other nations of abandoning Iran in this difficult time. While Washington continues to threaten countries that are importing Iran’s crude oil, including India and China, Tehran has assured its customers that, particularly China, oil trade will not stop even if Iran has to employ indirect channels.
Mortez Safari, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated that the current circumstances are making the US government anxious, prompting it to travel towards Europe and the Middle East. Tehran Times quoted Safari’s observation as saying, “The Americans are pursuing a maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic in order to force Iran back to the negotiating table.”
Read more: Support for US Iran policy out of left field: China dramatically…
Safari further added that Tehran has not been rattled by the sweeping sanctions and pressure campaigns undertaken by Washington. He stressed, “In spite of all the efforts, pressures and small and large-scale sanctions, no one has returned to the negotiating table. They even gave their phone number but no one contacted them.”