“EU Seeking to Deceive Iran into Accepting US Demands”

Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the conservative newspaper Kayhan, said since the beginning of talks over the Iran nuclear deal, the US government insisted that in addition to nuclear restrictions, the Islamic Republic should also accept other limitations on its missile program and regional influence.

“The Europeans are now repeating the same demands in another form by pressuring Iran into accepting restrictions on its missile programs,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with Tasnim.

He went on saying there is no need to concurrently accept restriction on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions on the country.

Shariatmadari said the US decided easily to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal because it was assured earlier by the European states that its demands from Iran will be fully met after its withdrawal.

He said the current negotiations between Iran and the EU over the JCPOA are like those held back in 2003 and added in the previous talks, the Europeans began to raise their demands after making sure that Iran’s nuclear activities have become suspended. “They took another step forward and urged Iran to completely halt its nuclear activities.”

He then said Iran should stand against the Europeans’ illegitimate demands.

“We should make a preemptive strike on the west and force it to retreat from its unusual demands,” he said.

Shariatmadari then expressed regret that the Iranian government didn’t give a resolute response to the US pullout of the nuclear deal.

Iranian officials said the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 guarantees the JCPOA’s implementation but the US simply violated the resolution without facing a crushing response by Iran, he added.