Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said France’s role in destabilizing the region should not be overlooked.
France signed a 14-billion-euro deal with the UAE on Friday to sell eighty Rafale supersonic combat aircraft.
We expect France to act more responsibly. The militarization of our region is unacceptable, and the weapons we sell are the source of the problems we are experiencing.
Hatibzadeh added.
The spokesman said arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars are being concluded with Arab countries in the Gulf while they hold regular meetings on our missiles.
Last month, the United States and its European allies criticized Iran for making ballistic missiles and drones available to friendly militias.
Khatibzadeh also denied that France had called on the countries of the region to unite efforts to advance talks on the Iranian nuclear file.
We cannot tackle the nuclear file and the regional issue in isolation, nor can we move forward with our friends in the region.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed earlier.
France is well aware that these statements have no legal or rational basis
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Negotiations to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed on November 29. In the nuclear deal, Iran pledged to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the gradual lifting of sanctions. The international treaty was plunged into crisis after then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally terminated the accord in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that choked Iran’s economy. In response, Tehran gradually withdrew from its contractual obligations.
Cover image source: Kaveh Kazemi / Getty Images
