FM Spokesman: Europe Not Ready To Start Serious Iran Oil Sanctions

Tehran, Jan 17, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said here on Tuesday that the European countries are not ready to start serious talks on imposing oil sanctions against Iran. Talking to reporters during his weekly press briefing, he said they are only capable of imposing anti-Iran sanctions for three months or postponing them for one year. Noting that the European Union is a true rival for the US, he warned the EU against blindly following Washington policies and said the US wanted to push its rival off the scene. He said the European public opinions expect their officials to make independent decisions that would guarantee their national interests. The spokesman believed that focusing on such issues as oil sanctions against Iran was only part of a psychological warfare. Asked to comment on the recent US letter to Iran, he said any responses will be dispatched through certain channels if necessary. Mehmanparast said the letter does not indicate any changes in the approaches and the existing relations between the two countries. The Iranian nation might reconsider ties with the US only if Washington acknowledges Iran’s rights and stops violating them, expresses regret over its past performance and offers proofs that it would not continue its wrong acts in the future, he stressed. However, he regretted, no indications of these are observed in the behavior of the US officials. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said assassination of Iranian elites is not a good sign from Washington to start friendly relations with Tehran. Mehmanparast referred to hostile attitudes, sanctions, leveling accusations and supporting terrorist groups as other improper US policies towards the Iranian nation./end