Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the conclusion of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program as a testimony to the Western sanctions’ failure to drive a wedge between the Iranian nation and government.
“Some say that sanctions brought Iran to the negotiation table. It’s not true. The (Iranian people’s turnout in the presidential) election brought the other side to the negotiation table,” Zarif said in a gathering of Iranian reporters in Tehran on Saturday.
“What the Iranian nation demonstrated was that the sanctions could not cause any rift between the people and the government,” he added.
Iranians have proved throughout the history that they never bow to pressures but continue to withstand until the opposite side is forced to treat them with respect and dignity, the top diplomat noted.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) finalized the text of a lasting accord on Tehran’s nuclear program in Vienna on July 14, after 23 months of diplomatic negotiations.
Dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal will end more than a decade of impasse over Iran’s nuclear case after taking effect and would also terminate the whole nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council, the US and the European Union.
string(1420) "[{"id":"1724362","sort":"3391880","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/07/28/alalam_635736844632538834_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iran’s FM Zarif: We Seek Closer Ties in Mideast"} ,{"id":"1724395","sort":"3391881","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/07/28/alalam_635736894963893618_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iraqi PM al-Abadi Meets Iran’s FM Zarif"} ,{"id":"1724438","sort":"3391879","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/07/28/alalam_635736966396430623_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iran’s FM Zarif Meets Iraqi President Fuad Massoum"} ,{"id":"1724480","sort":"3391878","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/07/28/alalam_635737059125256866_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Mogherini, Zarif Hold Press Conference in Tehran"} ,{"id":"1725559","sort":"3391877","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/08/01/alalam_635740294918948235_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"“Now its Israel’s turn”..., Zarif wrote in Guardian"} ,{"id":"1726239","sort":"3391876","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/08/03/alalam_635742149366343620_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iran’s FM Zarif Urges Closer Ties with Iraq, Benin, Sri Lanka"} ,{"id":"1726692","sort":"3391875","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/08/05/alalam_635743723538435162_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iranian FM Zarif Meets Italian Counterpart in Tehran"} ,{"id":"1726748","sort":"3391874","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2015/08/05/alalam_635743853473556324_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif Defends Nuclear Agreement"} ]"