Iran summons the charge d’affaires of the Australian Embassy over the imposition of sanctions

May 16. () –

The Government of Iran has summoned the charge d’affaires of the Australian Embassy in Tehran this Wednesday in protest at the imposition of sanctions against three entities and five senior Iranian officials for alleged “destabilizing” activities in the Middle East.

The Asia and Pacific department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported on “Australia’s irresponsible actions in applying these illegal and unjustified sanctions” and has highlighted that “they reserve the right to retaliate,” reads a statement from the Iranian diplomatic portfolio published in his web page.

Likewise, he indicated that the charge d’affaires of the Australian diplomatic legation has assured in the meeting that he will transmit Iran’s position to Canberra “as soon as possible.”

The Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, announced the day before the imposition of sanctions against several senior officials, including the Minister of Defense, Mohamad Reza Ashtiani, and the head of the Al Quds special forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Esmail Qaani, as well as businessmen and companies that “have contributed to the development of Iranian missile and drone programs.”

“The spread of these technologies and their transfer to Iranian-backed groups has led to the destabilization of the region,” he declared before adding that Canberra “will continue to deliberately and strategically pressure Iran to achieve a cessation of its destabilizing activities and achieve that adheres to International Law”.

Following this, the Government of Iran condemned the sanctions and stressed that “the main cause of tension and insecurity in the region is the occupation and the criminal approach of the Zionist regime in killing the Palestinian people, together with the support of the evil coalition, including Australia, to this regime.”

In addition, Tehran denounced “the double standards of Australia and its partners towards events in the region”, citing “the silence” in the face of the “violations of International Law by the Zionist regime” by attacking the Iranian Consulate in Syria and its stance. “on Iran’s legitimate action against the regime in question, within the framework of the inherent right to self-defense contained in the United Nations Charter.”

In this sense, he noted that this positioning “of selectively adhering to international norms not only fails to reduce instability in the region, but (…) encourages Israel to violate international norms and commit more war crimes, leading to thus the region towards instability”.