Raeisi: US, E3 made grave miscalculations in recent riots but their anti-Iran bids doomed to failure

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.

He added that 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.

“The US and the three European countries [which are signatories to the accord] were caught up in a state of delusion and made miscalculations [during recent riots in Iran]. 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.

The Iranian president added, “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.”

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.

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.