Iran Press/ Iran news: Speaking in his regular press conference on Monday, Abbas Mousavi referred to US fighter jets' attack on the Iranian passenger plane and said: "The Americans are trying all sorts of robberies. The dangerous action they took against the Iranian passenger plane in Syria and Lebanon was very dangerous. It was a terrorist act and threat that violates all legal and international standards, and Iran's Foreign Ministry, with the help of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the judiciary, and the Civil Aviation Organization, will take action to make Americans regret it.”
Mousavi added that FM Zarif spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the two countries' most important issues and concerns in the bilateral, regional and international fields.
The Spokesman also referred to Zarif's visit to Baghdad and Erbil, noting: "Zarif had a fruitful trip and held talks in a positive direction, and that paved the way for the visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister to Iran at the head of a high-level delegation."
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"There is no sincerity in words and deeds of Americans about our region, especially cooperation on Afghanistan," Mousavi said of US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad’s remarks about Washington-Tehran talks on the peace situation in Afghanistan, noting: "Iran does not consider the Americans to be honest in their statements and this will cause insecurity and instability in the region, especially in Afghanistan."
Regarding Zarif's visit to Russia, Mousavi said: "This trip was pre-arranged and he was not present during Al-Kazemi's visit to Iran, and have been determined in advance that he would travel to Moscow on this scheduled day. We have regular consultations with the Russian authorities, given the importance of the situation and developments. This trip was to take place and the message of the President of Iran was to be conveyed to his Russian counterpart."
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Mousavi also said: "This trip had two purposes. One is the positions that the Americans are taking on the continuation of Iran's arms embargoes, and we needed to have high-level talks with the Russian Federation again, and some other issues were raised along with it. Another point is the extension of the contract that we had with Russia 20 years ago, which was signed in February 2001 and lasted for 10 years and was extended twice in five-year intervals. There were talks to extend this agreement for a longer period of time, and there were a number of points of view between the parties that we should renew with new amendments in the new agreement, which expires in March this year, which was also the focus of Zarif talks."
Regarding Al-Kazemi's visit to Iran, he said: "The issues of our region and some inconsistencies and misunderstandings in the region can be the focus of these talks. Iran has repeatedly stated to various countries that its neighbors in our region are a priority and we are ready to have a balanced relationship with mutual respect, especially with Saudi Arabia.
Referring to the anniversary of Operation Mersad, Abbas Mousavi said: "After former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein's military aggression, their last weapon was to try traitors like MKO terrorists who invaded Iran in the last months of the war, and although they did nothing, the people of that region had shown bravery and courage that is unforgettable in history."
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Abbas Mousavi also referred to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks on the extension of Iran's arms embargo, stressing: "These Americans knew we would not give up any effort on this issue. We know that they put a lot of pressure on countries at the level of the UN Security Council and at the regional level. We said that this issue is unacceptable for the Islamic Republic of Iran."
He highlighted that Iran is deprived of its certain legal rights under pressure and that the US will face a reaction from Iran as well as the Asian country's sensitivity in this regard.
Mousavi said: "We consider the achievement of this American goal a bit unlikely and we do not consider it possible for countries to give in to the bullying demands of the United States." 207
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