Iran’s principal policy is to thwart the sanctions’ impact, Amir-Abdollahian said on Friday, which does not contract bids aimed at lifting the “cruel and unilateral” restrictions.
The foreign minister said Iran would never tie its interests to China, the United States, Russia, and Europe, but would cooperate with any country in the East and the West that meets its national interests based on mutual respect.
Amir-Abdollahian said European countries should respect the noble, civilized, and cultured Iranian nation since mutual respect would benefit both sides.
Pointing to Washington’s move to waive sanctions to allow the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, Amir-Abdollahian said the money would be released within the framework of SWIFT, the global provider of secure financial messaging services.
The top diplomat said that based on the agreement reached between Tehran and Washington, Iran can use the money to meet its needs.
On September 11, US President Joe Biden’s administration issued a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets from South Korea to Qatar with no concern about the sanctions.
The report released early Tuesday said the Biden administration has also agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States. The five detainees were identified as Mehrdad Moein Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour Kofrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi.
In an exclusive interview with the American broadcast television network NBC on Tuesday, President Ebrahim Raeisi underscored Iran’s full authority on its recently-released assets, saying it is the Islamic Republic that decides how to spend the funds and that the money will be spent “wherever we need it.”
MNA/Press TV
