Rahimi: West’s Anti-Iran Sanctions Illegal, Unjust

Muscat, Jan 31, IRNA – 1st Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said here Monday evening that the Western imposed sanctions against Iran are both illegal and unjust. Rahimi who was speaking Monday evening at a press conference with Iranian and Omani media reporters at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Muscat added, “Everyone confesses, either overtly, or covertly, to Iran’ right to achieve nuclear capability for peaceful purposes, but some countries, including the United States, take their steps against the direction of justice, while the stands of the Islamic Republic of Iran are the same as what we have declared many times, quite unchanged.” Rahimi, in response to a question on the European Union’s oil embargo against Iran, said, “These sanctions have no effect on Iran’s oil production and imports.” He reiterated that Iran has a sufficient number of good clients for exporting its oil and feels no problem in this respect. Rahimi also touched on the US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who recently repeated an old US-Zionist accusation, saying that Tehran is only one year away from manufacturing an atomic bomb, saying, “The United States and the western countries have time and again repeated such baseless allegations against Iran, but the Iranian officials and people have neither cared, and will nor attach any importance to them.” Focusing on the aggravating Iran-US war rhetoric and the probability of the outbreak of another war in the troubled Mideast region, Rahimi emphasized, “Iran rules out the probability of the outbreak of any new war, or military conflict in the region in foreseeable future.” Rahimi added, “Iran has always been after strengthening the foundations of peace and stability throughout the region and around the globe.” He reiterated, “Even the close US allies, when they have personal negotiations with Iranian officials, criticize and condemn the antagonist US policies against Iran.” Rahimi said, “The US officials’ comments about Iran include no new point as they have been repeating them during the past 32 years, and we know they are going to continue and do the same still for some time.” Rahimi emphasized, “Iran’s message for the entire world nations and governments is the message of friendship and brotherhood, save for the Zionist regime.” He pointed out that justice was the main axis of the discussions and will continue to be so, adding, “Iran considers taking disadvantage of power in any possible way as a negative value and inappropriate, while justice is the motto of the entire liberation seeking nations.” Rahimi pointing out that Iran has always been after expansion of relations with the Kingdom of Oman, considered the Muscat government as one of Tehran's good and unique neighbors. “The Iranian nation and government love the Omani people and government,” Rahimi stressed. In response to a question on Iran-Muscat agreement on exporting Iran’s natural gas to Oman, Rahimi said, “Exporting Iran’s gas to Oman would be finalized after reaching the final agreement.” He reiterated that “Iran’s Petroleum Minister, too, is in Muscat to confer with his Omani counterpart to eliminate the obstacles and hindrances in the way of implementing that project.”/end