Iran raps hostile provisions in US 2023 National Defense Authorization Act

Tehran has denounced the hostile provisions in the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, saying the decision attests to Washington’s meddlesome policies against the Islamic Republic and is in line with attempts to spread Iranophobia.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said in a statement on Thursday that the unfounded allegations concerning Iran’s regional activities indicate the continuation of Washington’s destructive and destabilizing role in the Persian Gulf and West Asia regions.

“The repetition of false accusations in the Act about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program comes while the US government has committed a violation of international conventions and principles by unilaterally withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) [in May 2018],” Kan’ani said.

He hastened to add that it was the Islamic Republic of Iran that helped to maintain the JCPOA through diplomatic initiatives and flexibility, even though the country has not fully enjoyed its own rights within the framework of the deal.

“Iran, as a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, is familiar with its rights and obligations. There is no doubt that baseless claims about peaceful Iranian nuclear activities would not help attempts aimed at legitimization of illegal and unilateral actions and sanctions of the United States against the Islamic Republic. Iran has proven that it will not capitulate to the logic of force,” he said.

Kan’ani went on to note that the Islamic Republic has time and again reiterated that the development of nuclear weapons has no place in its military doctrine.

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He also said the full support of the United States to the occupying and aggressor Zionist regime, as the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the West Asia region, and its unconditional support for the regime’s clandestine atomic program pose the most serious threats to regional peace and security, and constitute the most daunting challenge to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

“This is an outstanding example of hypocrisy, dual standards, and discriminatory policies of various US administrations,” he added.

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Kan’ani also said bilateral cooperation between Iran and other governments in various fields, including conventional defense, “falls within the framework of common interests and mutual benefits, is in accordance with international rights and obligations, and is not aimed against any third country.”

“The US has, however, sealed the highest number of arms sales deals, signed many military and defense cooperation agreements in the region, and its plentiful military bases jeopardize regional peace and stability,” the Iranian diplomat said.

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