Iranian FM spokesman rejects PGCC's claims of Iran interference

TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (MNA) - Iran`s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast on Thursday dismissed the allegations made against Iran in the most recent statement of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC). The PGCC members, in a statement issued at the end of their annual summit held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 20, called on Iran to stop meddling in the internal affairs of the group's members, according to the AFP. The council's members also called on Tehran to "fully cooperate" with the International Atomic Energy Agency, adding that they were committed to a Middle East "free of weapons of mass destruction." Mehmanparast said, "Unfortunately, the allegations made, including (the claim of) Iran's interference in the internal affairs of these countries, are false and indicate the unilateral stance adopted by certain members of the council and go against the general spirit of the Islamic Republic of Iran's relations with these countries." "In the statement, fabricated and unsubstantiated claims made by U.S. officials have been mentioned, while it was expected that the United States' acts of espionage against the Islamic Republic of Iran be condemned," he stated, in a clear reference to the recent violation of the country's airspace by a U.S. spy drone and the recent arrest of a CIA agent by Iranian intelligence personnel. He went on to say that Iran's policy is based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual trust, and non-intervention. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the governments of those regional countries which have been challenged by popular uprisings to take the measures necessary to fulfill legitimate public demands. "Violent confrontations and military crackdown on the people will not only not help resolve the problems facing these countries but also will lead to the spread of instability and insecurity across the region," he added. In addition, Mehmanparast said that Iran's nuclear activities are within the framework of international obligations and treaties and are only for peaceful purposes. There should be no concern about Tehran's nuclear program, he stated.