Int'l community should not be tight-lipped about state terrorism

Addressing a virtual meeting of the council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government hosted by India, Jahangiri referred to the assassination of the prominent Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, saying: "Iran will respond decisively and firmly to this inhuman crime at the appropriate time."

He stressed: "Today, Iran itself is the victim of state terrorism. Last year's assassination of Iran's national hero in the fight against terrorism, the late General Ghasem Soleimani, and the recent assassination of Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh are clear examples of the use of state terrorism tools against Iran."

"We expect international, and regional institutions, and governments not to remain silent in the face of state terrorism and to prevent the recurrence of such inhumane acts by condemning it. Of course, Iran will respond decisively to this inhuman crime at the right time," he added.

Referring to the Iran nuclear deal 2015, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the illegal US sanctions against the Iranian people, Jahangiri said: "The agreement is one of the important achievements of international diplomacy in the last decade."

"Despite the Trump administration's withdrawal from JCPOA and the imposition of harsh sanctions on Iran and the inaction of European member states, the agreement has remained stable so far due to Iran's peaceful policy and strategic patience, with the support of members of the international community, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and, of course, the great Iranian nation. Although Iran has not benefited significantly from its implementation, the country is still seeking to restore balance to the fulfillment of the parties' commitments to this international agreement in order to strengthen the multilateral approach." Jahangiri reiterated.

He went on to say, "The best way to counter US sanctions is to find inter-regional banking and monetary mechanisms that can take independent countries out of the cycle of the sanctions and provide the basis for inter-regional trade and economic exchanges using national currencies or a single currency. It is a good alternative to the US dollar in trade relations between the countries of the region."

Referring to the importance of the Chabahar port and its rail connections on the Afghanistan-Central Asia route, Iran's first vice president invited members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to Zahedan to participate in the Chabahar railway project.

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