Iran's Reaction to US Secretary of State's Remarks: 'Unwarranted Insistence on Repeating Baseless Accusations'

One day after the remarks by the US Secretary of State regarding Iran's actions, which he claimed 'fuel instability in the region', the Iranian Foreign Ministry described this American official's position as 'a repeated expression of baseless and false accusations'. Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, emphasized during a meeting with the EU's foreign policy chief that one cannot overlook Iran's 'destabilizing actions' due to the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA. He stressed that Tehran must be 'committed to the JCPOA and fully implement it', while also noting that 'we must consider several of Iran's destabilizing actions in the region'. The Trump administration's stance has been that although Tehran has adhered to its nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group, its policies in the Middle East and missile tests have undermined the 'spirit of the JCPOA'. In this context, the US government refused to reaffirm Iran's compliance with the JCPOA in October and placed the decision on Congress. In response, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly accused the United States of non-compliance with the JCPOA due to sanctions unrelated to the nuclear program. On Wednesday, Bahram Qasemi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, rejected Rex Tillerson's statements, saying: 'The repeated expression of baseless and false accusations will not help rectify the strategic and major errors of the US regarding Iran and the region over the past decades.' Qasemi further stated, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), 'Iran itself is one of the victims of the interventionist policies, coups, and tyranny resulting from the actions of his [America's] home country, and today is recognized as a country that has made significant efforts in the frontline of the fight against terrorism in the region and the world.' Iran has consistently, especially in recent years, been accused by Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, of interfering in their affairs and creating tension and unrest. This issue was also referenced by Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, who criticized Iran's policies in Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria.