Iran: Arab Quartet statement 'completely worthless'

Iran has dismissed a recent statement by the Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee, which questioned Tehran's commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal, urging the authors to abandon attempts meant to "please" Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Thursday the statement issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain "is completely worthless, unacceptable and illogical", adding the countries have no jurisdiction over the issue. 

In its statement issued at the conclusion of an Arab League meeting on Wednesday, the committee condemned Iran’s missile program and expressed concerns about what it called Tehran's lack of seriousness in complying with the nuclear agreement.

“Iran must comply with implementation of Security Council resolution 2231 with regard to its missile program, and the world community needs to carry out an effective mechanism to verify Iran’s implementation of the resolution, inspection and monitoring,” the statement read.

Resolution 2231 was adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2015 to endorse the nuclear deal between Iran and six other countries.

The Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee also demanded a re-imposition of sanctions if Iran violated the resolution, and condemned what it called Iran's interference in Arab internal affairs.

"The countries that bear the main responsibility for the invasion, destruction and a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, as well as the spread of terrorism and extremism in the region, should abandon their disgraceful political dance to please the Zionist regime," Qassemi said.

"And at the same time, they should know that Iranophobia has become a failed policy," the spokesman added.

Iran and the P5+1 countries — namely the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany — finalized the nuclear accord, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in July 2015 and started implementing it in January 2016.

Under the deal, Iran undertook to apply certain limits to its nuclear program in exchange for the termination of all nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly confirmed that Iran is living up to its commitments under the agreement.

Based on IAEA reports, Iran has fully lived up to its commitments under the deal and will remain committed to it as long as its interests are secured, Qassemi said, adding the Islamic Republic also plays a "constructive role" in regional stability and security.

US President Donald Trump sees the agreement as a legacy of his predecessor Barack Obama and pledged to undo it if radical changes are not made to bring Iran under stricter pressures.

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