Iran rejects Rubio’s claims, blames US and Israel for regional instability
In a sharply worded statement, Iranian Embassy says allegations made against Tehran reflects a broader effort to justify US policies in the region
The Embassy of Iran in India on Sunday strongly rejected recent remarks made by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, accusing Washington of attempting to “distort the realities of the region” while deflecting attention from what Tehran described as the destabilising actions of the United States and Israel.
In a sharply worded statement, the Iranian Embassy said the allegations made against Tehran reflected a broader effort to justify US policies in the region.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India rejects the recent remarks made by the United States secretary of state regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran and emphasises that such allegations constitute a clear attempt to distort the realities of the region and to deflect attention from the destabilising policies of the United States and the Zionist regime,” the statement said.
The embassy stressed that Iran has consistently remained willing to supply energy resources globally, including to India, but blamed US sanctions for disrupting oil exports and global energy markets.
“As one of the world’s major exporters of oil and energy, Iran has always been prepared to supply energy resources to all countries, including India,” the statement noted.
Tehran described US sanctions on Iranian oil exports as part of a wider pattern of “hostile measures” imposed over nearly five decades.
“Oil sanctions represent only a small part of the broader pattern of hostile measures and pressures that the US government has imposed on the Iranian people over the past 47 years,” the embassy said, adding that sanctions had also affected access to medicines and medical equipment for Iranian patients.
Iran further accused the United States and Israel of escalating tensions in the Gulf region and threatening maritime security in the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz through “military, provocative and adventurist actions”.
Responding to concerns raised by Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme, the embassy reiterated that Tehran’s nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and remain under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology to be the legitimate and inalienable right of its people and emphasises that it will never relinquish this lawful and internationally recognised right,” the statement added.
The embassy also claimed that Iran had successfully resisted pressure and military aggression from both the United States and Israel, asserting that attempts to alter Iran’s political system had failed.
The statement came shortly after Rubio acknowledged that indirect negotiations aimed at easing the US-Iran conflict had made “some progress,” while also warning that Washington would never permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons or unlawfully control the Strait of Hormuz by imposing maritime tolls.
Iran, meanwhile, said its armed forces remained in “full readiness” to respond to any threat targeting the country’s sovereignty, security or territorial integrity.
With IANS inputs