The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hosein Amirabdolahian, has denounced to the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the existence of «a good number of radical politicians» who are expressing «anti-diplomatic language» against his country and who «hide» behind the EU flag.
In a telephone conversation on Friday night, Amirabdolahian warned the European diplomat that by explicitly supporting the protests in Iran over the death in custody of young Iranian Mahsa Amini, «the strategic objectives of the European Union have been sacrificed for those of violent, even terrorist groups, who provide politicians with false information.»
Iran has recognized between almost 200 dead (according to estimates by the National Security Council of Iran published on Saturday) and more than 300, according to the Revolutionary Guards, since the outbreak of the protests. Iranian NGOs put the figure at more than 400. The Iranian government blames the riots on groups of «rioters and terrorists» in the service of foreign agencies and the opposition.
The Iranian minister also stressed the «important role» that Borrell could play in «keeping the European Union away from this «episode of unconstructive disturbances», according to statements reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Otherwise, both diplomats have commented on the current state of the difficult negotiations for Iran’s rejoining the international nuclear agreement, practically suspended since the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018.
The EU foreign policy chief stated, in this regard, that he will continue efforts and contacts to conclude a final agreement in the talks on the pact.
