Raeisi: West made grave miscalculations, unable to understand Iran's realities

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the United States and the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal made grave miscalculations by instigating the recent riots in Iran, stressing that their ongoing bids to tarnish the Islamic Republic’s image are all doomed to failure.

Raeisi made the remarks in a Thursday meeting with a group of foreign ambassadors to the Islamic Republic on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution victory.

“The US and the three European countries were caught up in a state of delusion and made miscalculations. As acknowledged by their officials, they opted to meddle in Iran’s domestic affairs … to wriggle out of their commitments than to seize the available opportunity and negotiate a return to their obligations,” Raeisi pointed out.

He said Iran, in spite of the Western sides’ failure to honor their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has always declared its readiness to finalize the Vienna negotiations, voiced eagerness to work out a good and fair agreement on the revival of the 2015 deal and removal of sanctions, and exhibited goodwill.

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“Over the past few months, we have seen a new wave of hybrid foreign plots and interference by some Western countries in Iran's internal developments. Having relied on sanctions and misinformation by enemies and opponents of the Iranian nation, these countries have stood up against the honorable and resilient Iranian nation. They have been waging one of the most overt forms of psychological and hybrid warfare,” Raeisi said. 

"America and some Western countries stubbornly insist on their hegemonic position and refuse to understand and accept the realities of Iran as an independent and free country, and this is the basis of the strategic errors and wrong policies implemented by Iran and of course the region in the past years," he added.

He noted that during the recent unrest, some tried to tarnish Iran’s global image through completely misleading information, adding that such attempts are still underway, but are all doomed to “ignominious” defeat.

Raeisi went on to highlight an improvement in the status of Iranian women and their participation in different areas, citing statistics that show significant breakthrough in women’s social roles and gender equality.

He pointed to the significant increase in the number of female academic personnel in Iranian universities, stating that women's illiteracy rate in Iran now stands at less than 10%. He said Iranian women have made up 56 percent of university entrants, and that women have a strong presence in knowledge-based companies.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always shown its adherence to and respect for the principles of human rights ... Our approach to human rights is not based on political objectives and gains, but rather rooted in our beliefs,” Raeisi said.

“We are ready to have mutual talks with different countries about human rights. Respect for human rights is not a one-way street,” the Iranian president said, adding,” So-called advocates of human rights in the West must be held accountable for their abysmal records. Double standards and discriminatory [approaches] will fail to improve the status of human rights, and will instead pose serious threats to human principles. It also erodes trust in international institutions,” the Iranian president said.

He underlined that arrogant powers, particularly the US and certain Western countries, insist on their imperialist stances and refuse to understand realities in Iran. This accounts for their strategic mistakes and the flawed policies they have pursued against Iran and the region, he said.

Enemy resorted to hybrid war after all plots failed: Iran Army chief

Iran’s Army chief says the enemy has resorted to hybrid war against the Islamic establishment after all of its plots against the country failed.

Arrogant powers have not shied away from any fiendish plot against Iran’s Islamic establishment ever since the Islamic Revolution emerged victorious in 1979, Raeisi said, adding that they supported deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-1988 war imposed by Iraq on Iran, and have imposed several rounds of sanctions against the country.

Such bids have, however, failed to stop Iran’s progress and will not manage to do so in the future, Raeisi said.

Raeisi said Iran has always underscored the stability, security and development of the region, and believes that regional security and progress is intertwined with the stability of Iran.

He also reaffirmed Iran’s unwavering support for the Palestinian nation and their legitimate cause, stating that the occupying Tel Aviv regime has been the main reason behind the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the West Asia region.

“Double standards by the West and international organizations on the Palestinian issue are among the instrumental factors behind the continued occupation [of Palestinian territories] and the increase in crimes of the apartheid Israeli regime against oppressed Palestinians,” the Iranian president noted.

FM: Iran welcomes negotiations, but will not engage in talks for sake of talks

Also at the Thursday meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic will remain on the path of diplomacy as long as long as tangible and practical goals are on the agenda of negotiations on the revival of the JCPOA, but will not engage in talks just for the sake of talks.

The top Iranian diplomat highlighted that Tehran attaches paramount importance to diplomacy and negotiations, and has not detached itself from the negotiating table.

“We have declared to the White House officials that they should choose between official messages relayed through diplomatic channels on taking the final step on the agreement and paradoxical statements published by media outlets,” Amir-Abdollahian noted.

Double standards and hypocritical stances will not be helpful, he said, adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran will support diplomacy and negotiations in a respectful, powerful and sustainable manner once the other side decides sincerely and realistically to return to its commitments under the JCPOA.

Iran has continued to denounce Washington’s “paradoxical approach” in the course of talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

“Their stances are negative, while their behavior and messages, sent via intermediaries, are something else,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said on December 26.

In recent months, Washington has used the foreign-backed deadly unrest in Iran and unsubstantiated reports of drone delivery to Russia to up the ante against the Islamic Republic through several rounds of sanctions.

Observers believe US officials are trying to use these baseless accusations against Iran to gain leverage in the talks on revival of the JCPOA and negotiate from a position of strength.

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