TEHRAN – Iran has reacted to the US decision to impose sanctions and issue a joint statement with a number of European and Arab countries on Iran.

Regarding the sanctions, which were imposed on six Iranians for alleged interference in the 2020 US presidential election, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called them a continuation of the failed campaign of “maximum pressure From former US President Donald Trump.

Regarding the new US sanctions against six Iranian individuals and an Iranian institution under the false pretext of interfering in the US elections, Khatibzadeh said: actions out of desperation.

He said the sanctions have no legitimacy and are doomed.

Khatibzadeh pointed out that this kind of blame games by the US government, which has a long history of meddling in different countries in various forms, are considered baseless and intended to deceive the American public.

The spokesperson also reacted to a joint statement by the United States, the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the countries of the Cooperation Council on Iran.

Responding to questions from reporters on the statement by the self-proclaimed task force of the United States, European Troika and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries on Iran, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “This meeting and its declaration are so fabricated, pretentious and illegitimate that they are not worth a response.

Khatibzadeh said the US government as a violator of resolution 2231 and a party that withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPO) and is responsible for the current situation, and as the only country with a history of use of nuclear weapons, with a black record of numerous interventions in the internal affairs of different countries, and the main seller of arms and ammunition in different parts of the world, is once again trying to create a crisis and make campaign against Iran.

Countries that must be held accountable for their adventures and aggressions in the region, including the seven-year aggression again in Yemen, cannot make baseless accusations against others and absolve themselves of the responsibility for these crimes and deflect public opinion, Khatibzadeh added.

The remarks came after senior U.S. officials and members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) convened their task force on Iran at GCC headquarters in Riyadh on November 17, as decided by the GCC. US-GCC foreign ministerial meeting in September. 23.

A day later, the political directors (PD) of E3 (France, Germany, UK) and the US special envoy to Iran held consultations with the states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, the ‘Egypt and Jordan in Riyadh.

“They exchanged views on the political and security situation in the region, including Iran’s actions. They also touched on the seventh round of upcoming talks on returning Iran and the United States to mutual and full respect for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Representatives of E3 and the United States reaffirmed the importance – for Europe, the United States, the region and beyond – of arriving quickly and implementing a negotiated solution to this end and ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, ”one said the US State Department.

The statement added, “The E3 DPs and the US Special Envoy for Iran hailed the efforts of our regional partners to defuse tensions and promote dialogue in the region. They affirmed their determination to continue to tackle the region’s broader security challenges.

The statement concluded: “They stressed that a strengthened regional dialogue and a return to mutual compliance with the JCPOA would benefit the entire Middle East, allow more regional partnerships and economic exchanges, with lasting implications. for the growth and well-being of all. people there, including in Iran.

“The IAEA must be free from the taint of all political conduct”

Khatibzadeh also responded to French remarks on a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In response to a question on recent remarks by the spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, Khatibzadeh said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has always stressed that the reputation of the IAEA as a technical and specialized agency of the United Nations body must be free from the taint of any political conduct or action.

Accordingly, any position of officials and political institutions of different countries with the aim of influencing the behavior of the International Atomic Energy Agency is detrimental to the technical and professional status of the IAEA, and undoubtedly, the ploy of using the International Atomic Energy Agency as a tool calls into question the international legitimacy of the Agency’s actions rather than benefiting its authors, added the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre called for a stronger message to Iran at the next IAEA Board of Governors meeting in light of the recent IAEA report on Iran.

She called for a strong message to Iran through a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

Legendre called the IAEA report “very concerning” and said next week’s board meeting should send a strong message to Iran.

The IAEA said in a new quarterly report that Iran has increased its stocks of highly enriched uranium.

The IAEA also reiterated its allegations against the Islamic Republic, saying Iran continues to violate many of the limits of the nuclear deal, including the level of enrichment of uranium and its stockpiles of enriched uranium.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Legendre said: “Iran must resume fulfilling all of its obligations and duties to the IAEA without delay, resume cooperation with the IAEA and return to full implementation. work of the JCPOA “.

“The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency should help send a strong message to Iran in this regard,” she added.

This is the second time France has signaled it could take action against Iran at the next Governing Council meeting.

At the beginning of November, Legendre had stressed that France could still initiate proceedings against Iran at the next meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors. She said France was in contact with her allies on how to respond to what she called Iran’s “non-cooperation” with the IAEA.

France’s position could not have come at a more sensitive time. The IAEA board is preparing for a meeting ahead of the seventh round of the Vienna talks. Thus, it is not yet clear whether France would push for censorship against Iran during the meeting.

Many observers and diplomats believe France could fail to push for censorship given the dire consequences of such a move for the next round of Vienna talks set to take place on November 29.