Iranian embassy rejects US State Secretary Marco Rubio's remarks

New Delhi: Iranian embassy in India on Sunday rejected Marco Rubio's remarks, saying the allegations constituted an attempt to distort the realities of the region, even as it slammed both the US and Israel and asserted that Tehran would never relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear science and technology.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran further underlines that what is currently disrupting and threatening maritime security and the passage of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are the military, provocative and adventurist actions of the United States and the Zionist regime in the region," it said. "These two regimes are the principal drivers behind the escalation of global security and energy crises and seek to advance their political and military objectives through the creation of instability and insecurity."

Rubio had said on the sidelines of an official reception in New Delhi on Saturday: "There's been some progress made...Even as I speak to you now, there's some work being done... This issue needs to be solved, as the President said one way or the other. Iran can never have nuclear weapons. The straits need to be opened without tolls. They need to turn over the highly enriched uranium."


The embassy said as one of the major exporters of oil and energy, Iran has always been prepared to make its energy resources available to all countries, including India. "What has held the global energy market hostage over recent years has been the unlawful and unjust sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran's oil exports; sanctions that have been designed and enforced in violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations..."