- Iranians holding Ashura mourning for Imam Hussein
- Third step: Iran officially informs EU of plan to expand nuclear R&D
- Iran expands nuclear R&D program: Rouhani
- Iran goes ahead in space tech, despite US sanctions: ISA
- Resistance Front undermining Israeli regime power: Top commander
- Iran: 7 crew members of detained UK ship freed
- US addiction to sanction threaten its power: Iran’s Zarif
- Dutch role in 2007 Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear site under scrutiny: Iraian FM Spox.
- Iran: ‘Sustainable Security 2019’ kicks off in Caspian Sea
- Iran’s Zarif leaves Tehran for Moscow
- Shiraz University ranked 1st in liver transplantation: Iranian health official
- Japan’s Abe to meet Iran’s president to discuss easing tension in region
- Downing of US spy drone shattered war threats against Iran: Top IRGC commander
- IAEO head reports development of first ion-therapy hospital in west of Asia
- Iranian Taekwondo team wins 2019 World Cup championship
- US sanctions failed to force Iran to buckle: Report
- Crew fixing Iran oil tanker broken down in Red Sea
- As Iranians hold nerves, US seeks to scare off trade
- Leader expresses concern about Kashmir, urges India to follow fair policy toward Muslim-majority region
- Iran saffron exports down due to smuggling, government restrictions: Exporter
- Iran FM warns US against ‘serious miscalculation’ in Persian Gulf
- Iran’s resistance policy led to release of oil tanker: MP
- Iran in reverse brain drain as top students come home in rising numbers
- Iran official calls for compensation for tanker seizure
- Iran hails N Korea for standing against ‘unilateral’ US demands
- Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Ghadir
- North Korea praises Iran’s anti-US struggle
- Zarif says to meet French president Friday
- Iranian court hearing case of UK oil tanker
- Over half of Japanese voters oppose joining US-led anti-Iran coalition in Persian Gulf: Poll
- IME trade ups by 21 percent in July
- Finland backs INSTEX in defiance of US
- US anti-Iran policy in high seas harms Europeans: LA Times
- Iran, China confer on Syria
- Iran, Finland share views on Persian Gulf dialogue forum: Zarif
- Iran warns US against seizure of oil tanker
- Iraq eager to benefit from Iranian Police’s experience
- Iran planning 3rd step to reduce nuclear commitments: Spokesman
- Leader grants clemency to over 1,000 Iranian inmates
- Registration for Arbaeen Pilgrimage to begin in Iran on Friday
- Iran, Iraq agree to reopen Khosravi border crossing
- Iran deplores suicide attack at Kabul wedding hall
- Iran to hold int'l hand-woven carpets expo
- Zarif meets with Iran-Kuwait Friendship Group members
- Adrian Darya oil tanker not under any sanctions, says Iran envoy
- ‘Iran to stay in nuclear deal as long as its interests are met’
- India envoy happy with positive trend of trade with Iran
- Iran’s annual export of white meat tops 2.5m tons: Minister
- Iranian scientist discovers new state of matter
- Iran, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties
- Iran, Ansarullah, European representatives Yemen developments
- ‘Iran to become self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines'
- US issues seizure warrant for Iranian supertanker 'Grace 1'
- Neanderthal tooth unearthed near Iran’s Zagros mountain
- Iran’s Zarif due in Kuwait on Saturday
- US faces humiliating defeat after Gibraltar releases Iranian tanker: Envoy
- Spokesman rejects claim on Iran’s commitment in exchange for tanker release
- Zarif reacts to release of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar
- Israel, UAE engaged in secret talks on Iran arranged by US: Report
- US threatens visa ban as Iranian-operated tanker sets to sail from Gibraltar
- Enemies must factor Iran's global power in their calculations: IRGC's chief commander
- Trump’s administration conflicting messages to Iran baffle go-betweens: Report
- Gibraltar releases Iran-operated tanker despite US pressure
TEHRAN, May 14 - Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations dismisses as mere “psychological warfare” a reported US military plan aimed at Iran, under which Washington could deploy tens of thousands of troops to the Middle East.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -Majid Takht-e Ravanchi made the remarks to CNN on Tuesday in reaction to a report by The New York Times, which said the plan for the deployment of 120,000 troops to the Middle East had been recently discussed at a meeting of hawkish US administration officials.
The report said the plan, which had been prepared by Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan upon the orders of National Security Advisor John Bolton, envisions sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East “should Iran attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons.”
Iran’s UN ambassador said, “These are all psychological warfare in our opinion.”
Iran is not inclined either towards triggering a regional conflict or pursuing nuclear weapons, he asserted.
“We are not in the business of trying to create a conflict in our neighborhood because nobody is going to have benefit from such a conflict in our region, except for a few, as I explained earlier, some people in Washington and some countries in our neighborhood,” he added.
Who’s endangering who?
He added that questions about posing security threats to others’ interests had to be instead “directed to those people, who have come to our neighborhood from thousands of miles [away].”
“Iran is in the Persian Gulf area. We are not in Gulf of Mexico,” the official said.
Takht-e Ravanchi further stipulated that seeking nuclear arms “is against our religion.”
He cited a religious decree issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that prohibits such pursuit, adding, “Besides, nuclear weapons are not within the defense structure of Iran.”
Under US President Donald Trump, Washington has been eagerly leading a policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran. The policy has Bolton as the person trying most to escalate it into military conflict.
Employing the approach, the US left a multi-lateral nuclear deal with Iran, which has the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany as its other signatories, last year.
It then reinstated the sanctions that had been lifted under the accord. The moves came while the deal had been ratified in the form of a United Nations Security Council resolution, making Washington culpable for violating international law.
Washington has also been trying to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero,” and sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.
US on war footing based on fake intel.
Pointing to what is claimed to be Iran’s intention to target American interests in the region, Takht-e Ravanchi said the US had used no more than just “fake intelligence” to try to justify the recent military build-up.
“These are all fake intelligence based on certain narrow-minded agenda, as I said, pursued by certain people in Washington as well as in our region,” he stated.
The official, meanwhile, addressed Trump’s recent proposal of “talks” with Iran.
The so-called offer and the policy of pressure cannot coexist, he said, noting that Iran’s submitting to such negotiation would be its bowing to coercion and intimidation.
Your Comment