Dr. Kamal Kharrazi at a meeting with the UK minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, on Sunday, September 2, said: “The three European countries (Britain, France, Germany) have not yet been able to take the necessary steps to secure Iran’s interests.”

He added that the imposition of sanctions, pressures and a lack of rapid action by Europe to fulfill their obligations in the context of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will have serious consequences.

Referring to the Yemeni crisis, Dr. Kharrazi stressed the need to stop the Saudi bombing of Yemen, and said: “If Britain wishes an end to the Yemeni war, it should refrain from selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and ask the aggressors’ coalition to put an end to the war.”

“It is the natural right of the Yemeni popular forces to participate in the future government,” he added.

Turning to the Syrian issue, the SCFR president emphasized that “Europe has made a big mistake in Syria by backing the countries that supported the terrorist groups.”

According to Dr. Kharrazi, Iran’s cooperation with the Syrian and Iraqi governments in countering ISIL and terrorist groups played an important role in providing security and stability in the region, and the reason that some accuse Iran of destabilizing the region is due to their lack of strategic foresight.

He noted that the Astana talks have followed a favorable path in ending the unrest in Syria, and along with the negotiations in Geneva, will play an effective role in finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis through the formation of a constitutional committee.

“The ground should be provided for holding peaceful elections in Syria and respecting the Syrian people’s votes,” the Iranian official stated.

The strategic council president also stated that there are many areas for cooperation between Iran and the United Kingdom, stressing that the realization of such cooperation requires confidence-building between the two sides.

Europe also the victim of the US government

At the meeting, the British official, Alistair Burt, said that the UK’s stance on the JCPOA is quite different from that of the United States, and added: “We are looking for a European mechanism to make JCPOA successful.”

Burt said: “Not only Iran, but Europe is also the victim of the wrong policies of the US government.”

Referring to Iran’s regional significance, he noted: “We seek to build trust with Iran, strengthen bilateral cooperation and emphasize the continuation of parliamentary dialogue and communication to build mutual trust.”

About the Yemeni crisis, Burt said: “We are worried about the critical situation in Yemen and the living condition of the Yemeni people.” In order to overcome the current situation, he added: “the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue must be pursued.”

Noting that Iran has good knowledge of and long experience in the region, the UK minister of state said that Tehran can help resolve the crises in the region. “We, as compared to the United States, have better knowledge of the region and are ready to cooperate to end the crises,” Burt noted.