Referring to recent visit of Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Beirut, the spokesman said the talks in Lebanon were after pursuing implementation of projects without paying attention to pressures and sanctions. Amirabdollahian and his delegation arrived in the Lebanese capital on October 7 to hold talks with the country’s top officials including the president, foreign minister and parliament speaker on various issues, IRNA reports.
About Amirabdollahian’s flight to Syria which took place after his visit to Lebanon, the spokesman dismissed the rumors about fueling the foreign minister’s plane, adding that the visit to Damascus had been pre-scheduled and the fuel problem has been a smear.
Turning to the issue of the parliamentary election in Iraq, Khatibzadeh said that the event was in continuation of democracy in the country. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes successful elections in Iraq, he said, adding that Tehran thinks that Baghdad is on the right way to democracy. Also about attack on anti-Iranian bases in Iraq, the spokesman said that the Islamic Republic has told the Iraqi friends and those in Iraqi Kurdistan region over and over again that it is against neighborliness that some anti-Iran bases exist in Iraq.
Those bases cannot continue their work and Iran will act on the basis of its interests wherever needed, he underlined. Elsewhere, the spokesman mentioned about online talks between foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and said that a meeting is slated to be held in Tehran but its time has not been set yet.
He went on to say that Russia, at the suggestion of Iran, will attend the Tehran meeting. Also about the situation of Afghan Shias, the spokesman said the situation of tthe Shias, women and freedom of expression are “our red lines.”
Touching upon Tehran-Baku ties, the spokesman said that the relations are normal and that Iran’s borders and its air space are open. The Islamic Republic has expressed its concerns and they have promised to remove them, Khatibzadeh said, stressing that Tehran’s main principle follows brotherly behavior.
At his remarks, the spokesman referred to Iran-Saudi Arabia talks which as he noted are underway without interruption. Further, he referred to travel of the governor of a northeastern Iranian province to Afghanistan and said that Iran has good ties with the neighboring state. About the developments in Afghanistan, the spokesman said it is soon to discuss inclusive government in that country.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh talked of Vienna talks and said they will be held. About time of return to the talks, the spokesman said it will be shorter than the US return.
About Azerbaijan’s drills in the Caspian Sea, the spokesman said the region is so sensitive and some events have made it more sensitive. Iran made its northwestern neighbors including Azerbaijan informed of its maneuvers, he said, stressing the importance of following principles of neighborliness. It is important to understand the regional conditions and follow principles of the Caspian Sea’s situation, he added.
About the presence of the Zionist regime of Israel in Azerbaijan, the spokesman said that Israel wants to make the region insecure, so Tehran and Baku should pay attention to not let the third party interfere in their bilateral ties. Iran is not kidding about its national security, he said. Turning to the Climate Change Conference slated for late October in Scotland, Khatibzadeh said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will not attend the event and had no plan to do so; meanwhile, a delegation from Iran will participate the conference.
Again about Vienna talks, the spokesman said all sides who come to Vienna for talks should have right understanding about this issue that they cannot run away from their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He went on to say that they should assure Iran that no sides would violate the international nuclear deal, aka JCPOA. Asked whether Iran will substitute a transit route for that in Azerbaijan, the spokesman stressed that Iran due to neighborliness will not replace any country with another.
There has been no discussion about substitution, but Iranian products should be dispatched without problems, he added. About relations with Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan region, the spokesman said that Iran’s economic ties with Iraq are at the excellent level and that the main problem is the issue of paying debts by Iraq. At the end of his briefing, the spokesman talked of Tehran-Moscow relations and said that the final parts of document on comprehensive cooperation between the two countries are under finalization.
