Iran raps G7 for bullying independent countries, calls for ‘realistic approach’

Iran has hit back at Group of Seven 9G7) countries for leveling an array of allegations against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and regional activities, urging the US-led grouping to adopt a realistic approach based on mutual respect.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday described the G7 accusations as “baseless and interventionist”, and said this is a manifestation of the West’s unilateral approach and its attitude of imposing its will on independent countries.

The G7 foreign ministers said in the communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Japan on Tuesday that Iran must cease what they called a nuclear escalation and fulfill its legal obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation.

The Iranian foreign ministry’s statement regretted that the group has raised allegations against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, instead of attempting to hold the US accountable for its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord.

“It’s a regret that the G7 member states have made baseless accusations against Iran’s totally peaceful nuclear work, instead of holding the US accountable for its grave lawbreaking by withdrawing from the JCPOA unilaterally and unjustifiably, violating the UN Security Council 2231, and imposing of inhumane sanctions on the Iranian nation,” the statement noted. 

It reiterated Iran’s stance that nuclear weapons have no place in its defense doctrine and that it believes nukes are against Islamic teachings.

Window will not remain open forever to revive nuclear deal: Iran FM

The Iranian foreign minister warns the US and E3 that the window for negotiations to revive the JCPOA will not remain open forever.

In reference to the G7 statement asking Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the foreign ministry said Iran is determined to keep up constructive cooperation with the UN nuclear agency and it expects other countries to avoid politicizing Iran-IAEA cooperation and pressuring the UN organ.

The statement also said it will continue efforts aimed at the conclusion of the JCPOA revival talks in Vienna.

The ministry added that Iran believes the stalemate in negotiations is rooted in the West’s wrong approach and its miscalculation and that the bloc should be held responsible for the consequences of the continuation of the status quo.

Negotiations between the parties to the nuclear deal kicked off in Vienna in April 2021 with the intention of bringing the US back into the agreement.

The discussions, however, have been at a standstill since August 2022 due to Washington’s insistence on not lifting all of the anti-Iran sanctions and offering the necessary guarantees that it will not exit the agreement again.

War solution to no crisis

The G7 ministers also expressed concern over Iran supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict, repeating the West’s accusation that Tehran is supplying drones to Moscow for use in the conflict.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Western countries would do well to tap their diplomatic capacity to help end the conflict in Ukraine, instead of flooding Ukraine with weapons and leveling baseless accusations against Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict been saying that it believes war is no solution to any crisis, including that in Ukraine, and has reminded the necessity of an immediate ceasefire and the settlement of disputes through political negotiations and stressed respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity," the statement noted.

Kiev offers no proof of alleged 'Russian use' of Iranian drones in Ukraine war: Iran defense chief

The Iranian defense chief says Ukraine failed to present any proof of Russia’s alleged use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine war.

“The Islamic Republic has repeatedly stressed it has not and will not provide any weapon to any side [at the expense] of another side,” the statement said.

Ukraine and its Western allies have for months been claiming Russia uses Iranian-made kamikaze drones in the Ukraine war.

Both Iran and Russia have repeatedly denied those claims and asked for evidence proving the accusations.

West’s rights claims ‘hypocritical’

The G7’s final communiqué also raised anti-Iran human rights issues, expressing the body’s “profound concern over Iran’s systemic human rights violations and abuses, especially with Iran’s efforts to oppress peaceful dissent through threats and intimidation.”

The statement said the West’s “selective and political claims” over human rights are nothing new and the bloc is not ideally placed to comment on Iran’s human rights situation.

“The US and other sides who, in disregard of the consequences and impacts of illegal sanctions on people’s enjoyment of their basic rights, misuse economic and banking tools to advance their political desires against independent countries, lack any ethical and legal credibility to make comments on Iran’s human rights situation,” said Iran's foreign ministry.

It said it's “totally hypocritical” for the West to voice concern over human rights in Iran while keeping mum on Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians or the desecration of sanctities of over a billion Muslims in some European countries.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, a system born of a popular revolution that ousted a repressive dictatorship supported by the US, considers itself obliged to protect the rights and dignity of its citizens and will spare no efforts to promote human rights,” the statement said.

The Western countries have over the past couple of months accused Iran of cracking down on peaceful people protesting the government’s treatment of women in the wake of the death of an Iranian girl.

Nearly 90,000 people pardoned by Iran’s judiciary following Leader’s amnesty

Official says some 90,000 have been pardoned following a mass amnesty in February on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Iran says it dealt with rioters damaging public property and brutally attacking security officers for months recently.

Those riots erupted following the death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini. She collapsed at a police station last September and died three days later in a hospital in Tehran. A probe later found out that his unfortunate death was the result of an illness, not alleged beatings by the police.

Iran recently pardoned thousands of prisoners arrested during the riots based on a mass amnesty decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

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