Iran cannot be bullied, dialog sole solution to problems: First VP

Iran’s first vice president strictly discourages use of bullying as a method by whoever, who chooses to deal with the Islamic Republic, reiterating the country’s stance that dialog is the only way out of all standing tensions.

Es’haq Jahangiri made the remarks while addressing a gathering in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday, where he said, “Logic and dialog are the only solutions to [all] issues, and bullying against the Islamic Republic will lead nowhere.”

“Europe and the West have borne witness to Iran’s power in various areas, and are now seeking to find solutions for their issues with our country,” the official noted.

PressTV-‘Iran to cut more JCPOA commitments if EU fails to act’

Foreign Minister Zarif says Iran will definitely suspend more of its commitments under the JCPOA unless the European co-signatories act to fulfill their end of the deal.

The comments came as the European parties to a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran are scrambling to meet the country’s demand of reaping its business benefits under the deal.

The United States left the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), last May, and returned the sanctions that had been relieved by the accord.

Since then, Tehran has insisted that the remaining signatories should give the agreement more than just lip-service in the aftermath of Washington’s illegal decisions. It has insisted that it would only remain a party to the JCPOA as long as it keeps deriving the economic benefits that it is contractually entitled to.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Jahangiri reminded his audience that it has been more than a year since the US deserted the agreement, saying, “They (Washington and its allies) believed that the economic problems and pressure [resulting from the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal] would lead to chaos and tension in Iran.”

“Today, however, we witness that the economic conditions are better than last year. The situation is still difficult, but the economy has stabilized and [successfully] weathered the turbulence,” Iran's first vice president stated.

Law-abiding Iran vs. piratical UK

Separately, the official remarked on Iran’s seizure last month of a British-flagged tanker, which was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Iranian naval forces detained Stena Impero on July 19 for violating international maritime laws when crossing the high-traffic strait.

The capture came after British forces seized an Iranian-operated supertanker in the Strait of Gibraltar off Spain on the allegation that it was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of the European Union’s unilateral sanctions on the Arab country. Iran has denied that the vessel was heading for Syria, and Spain later said that London had ordered the confiscation at the request of the United States, which has been trying to hamper Iran’s international oil sales.

PressTV-Captain of Iran ship seized by UK says ‘brute force’ used

The captain of an Iranian-operated supertanker seized by the UK says British marines used excessive force while detaining the vessel in the Strait of Gibraltar off Spain.

Jahangiri said the UK had seized the Iranian vessel during  “an act of piracy,” but the Islamic Republic detained their ship “authoritatively and on legal grounds” in a move that served to prove the Islamic Republic’s political stability, power, integrity, and coordination existing among Iranian authorities.

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