Severe Criticism from Iranian Officials on US Policies at Tehran Conference

The second conference of the speakers of the parliaments of six countries—Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, China, Russia, and Afghanistan—held in Tehran on Saturday, December 8, became a platform for sharp criticisms from Iranian officials regarding US policies. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in his speech at the conference described "the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against the Iranian nation" as a "clear example of economic terrorism." Rouhani defined "economic terrorism" as "the intimidation of one country and the creation of fear in other countries that intend to invest in the target country." According to the Iranian President, "security has broader dimensions than before and includes economic, cultural, political, social, and psychological security." The withdrawal from the JCPOA was one of Donald Trump's electoral promises that he initiated upon entering the White House. Following this action, the US resumed its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic in two rounds. Washington claims it seeks to reach a new agreement with Iran that also addresses Tehran's missile program and ends Iran's support for groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen. Rouhani further warned the sanctions imposers that if Iran's capabilities "in combating drugs and terrorism at their source" are harmed, they will not be able to escape from "the debris of drugs, bombs, terrorism, and migration." In another part of his speech criticizing the US, he stated: "A country that has started a trade war with China, mocks Pakistan, humiliates Afghanistan, punishes Turkey, threatens Russia, and sanctions Iran is the primary accused in breaking ties." He continued: "If the US thinks it can separate us, it is gravely mistaken." Ali Larijani: Trump's behavior has crushed human rights systems. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, was another speaker at the opening ceremony of the second conference of the speakers of the parliaments of these six countries in Tehran, who criticized the United Nations Security Council and the performance of this body. Larijani stated that "unfortunately, the Security Council does not fulfill its duties," adding: "Many regional wars do not have Security Council resolutions; even the unilateral sanctions of the US against Iran and Russia do not have Security Council resolutions, and from our perspective, this body does not fulfill its duties." According to the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, "the unilateralism that the US President has adopted in recent years has led to the destruction of human values through his commercializations." Larijani emphasized: "Trump's behavior has effectively crushed human rights systems and has caused countries to lose hope in their global management." The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly labeled the US and its allies as "the factor of terrorism expansion" and added: "They say they fight terrorism, but in practice, they use the tools of terrorism." Zarif: Americans create disturbances in Iran-Europe relations. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, was another Iranian official present at the opening ceremony of this conference who criticized the US in a press conference. Zarif accused the US of creating "disturbances" in Iran-Europe relations. He cited the issue of Iran's missile testing raised by the US as an example of these "disturbances." The recent missile test in Iran was mentioned by Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, on Twitter, accusing Iran of violating UN Security Council Resolution 2231 due to a medium-range ballistic missile test capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Following this, the UN Security Council convened at the request of Nikki Haley to discuss this issue. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated on Tuesday, December 4, in response to the Security Council meeting regarding Iran's recent missile test that the Islamic Republic's missile program does not contradict "the Security Council resolution." Iran also accused the US of "misusing" the Security Council for its "malicious purposes." According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, "the Americans are trying to distort regional issues." Zarif further added in his remarks to reporters: "The Americans have turned our region into a powder keg. The amount of weapons sold by the US is unbelievable and far exceeds the region's needs." He described the policy pursued by the Americans in the region as a "very dangerous" policy that "unfortunately has not contributed to peace and security in the region." The Iranian Foreign Minister, citing reports from European newspapers, stated: "American weapons are in the hands of Al-Qaeda in Yemen and ISIS in Syria, and this is a danger that constantly threatens us." In another part of his remarks during the conference of the speakers of the parliaments of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, China, Russia, and Afghanistan in Tehran, Zarif referred to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei in Canada at the request of the US, calling it a sign of "America's isolation in the world" that has forced them to "get into such a dispute that they even arrest the CFO of a Chinese company to advance their policy." Zarif characterized this behavior as "more indicative of America's desperation than its power." Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei, was arrested on December 1, at the request of the United States in Canada, and this action raised concerns about the escalation of the US-China trade war, impacting the global stock market. The Vancouver court announced that US prosecutors are seeking the extradition and trial of Meng Wanzhou on charges of concealing information related to the sale of technological equipment to Iran and violating US sanctions. The second conference of the speakers of the parliaments of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, China, Russia, and Afghanistan, focusing on "challenges in combating terrorism and strengthening inter-regional communications," began on Friday at the Parsian Azadi Hotel in Tehran.