Qasemi on Sanctions Extension: We Will Act Decisively Against Breach of Promise

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed the recent contact between the foreign ministers of Iran and the United States regarding the approval of the law extending sanctions on Iran in the U.S. Congress. He stated that "necessary warnings" were given by Mohammad Javad Zarif and added that "we will act decisively against breach of promise." According to the state news agency IRNA, Bahram Qasemi, on Monday, December 29, in an interview with reporters in response to a question about the contact between Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry, said: "Given the Senate's resolution and the extension of the ISA law, there have been contacts between Zarif and Kerry, and necessary warnings were given by Iran, and consultations were held in this regard." He emphasized that the approval of the Iran sanctions law in the U.S. Congress, known as the "ISA," was considered a "serious breach of promise" by the Islamic Republic. According to Mr. Qasemi, the joint commission established in the Vienna nuclear agreement will examine this issue, but the review will be time-consuming and may extend to the next U.S. administration. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson continued: "Regarding what will happen, I do not make a final judgment, but we will assert our firm position against any breach of promise; we will not have any hesitation and will defend the interests of the system." Islamic Republic officials have described the U.S. Congress's resolution to extend sanctions on Iran as "contrary" to the Vienna nuclear agreement, and the Iranian president has instructed the Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization to implement the measures provided for in the JCPOA to address the "violations" of this international agreement. On Tuesday, December 24, Hassan Rouhani, in a letter to the Atomic Energy Organization, called for planning to build ships with nuclear fuel and fuel for these ships. In this regard, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, reported that during the visit of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Tehran on Sunday, he discussed this matter with Yukiya Amano. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also published a letter from Mohammad Javad Zarif to Federica Mogherini on Saturday, December 27, in which Iran, reminding of its "full adherence" to JCPOA commitments, called for the formation of a joint commission to address the "extension of the Iran sanctions law" by the U.S. Qasemi: Trump's Character is Unpredictable. According to IRNA, Bahram Qasemi, in another part of his remarks in response to a question about "what is your prediction of Trump's foreign policy towards Iran and whether the improvement of U.S.-Russia relations will affect Iran-Russia relations?" said: "Given the slogans and positions adopted in the Republican Party and Mr. Trump's own remarks, today's judgment is either late or untimely." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that "Trump's character is unpredictable," and continued: "We still need to wait and see how time passes and we can judge global issues." "Iran's Influence in Yemen is Not Related to Kerry and Jabir." Bahram Qasemi, in response to another question about the meeting between John Kerry and Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign ministers of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and discussions with Iran in this regard, said: "We have had no negotiations with the American side on any issue other than the JCPOA, and regional issues are not the subject of our negotiations, and we will not have negotiations in this regard." Regarding the situation in Yemen, he added: "What is said about the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran has nothing to do with others and is an unwarranted interference that may be raised to please some. Influence goes back to the history, culture, and past of countries and has nothing to do with others, and if Iran has influence in Yemen, it has nothing to do with Mr. Kerry and Adel al-Jubeir." Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Iran of pressuring the legitimate Yemeni government by assisting the Shiite Houthi rebels; Iran denies its military support for the Houthis. Bahram Qasemi also described some concerns about the situation in Syria and Aleppo as "illusionary and fanciful" and reported that a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey, and Russia, which was scheduled to be held on January 7, will be held on Tuesday in Moscow due to the "sensitivity" of the situation in Aleppo. The disappearance of a French citizen in the Lut Desert. The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, in response to another question about the disappearance of a French citizen in the Lut Desert, said: "This news is correct. Given the attractions that desert tourism has for some parts of European society, a French citizen comes to Iran as a tourist and travels to the area. Given the conditions in the region, local officials advise him not to travel to certain areas; he travels to specific areas he had identified, and after that, there is no news of him." Bahram Qasemi added: "A lot of follow-ups have been done in this regard, and the two countries are in contact. The probability that local officials suggest is that he may have encountered an incident like a sandstorm in the Lut Desert."