Rouhani Warns North Korea Against Trusting The US
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran has warned North Koreaโs foreign minister that the U.S. cannot be trusted.
Recall Iran dismissed a last-minute offer from Washington for talks on Monday, saying it could not negotiate after the Trump administration reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iranโs own nuclear programme.
North Koreaโs top diplomat, Ri Yong Ho, visited Iran as the U.S. reintroduced sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
โThe U.S. administration performance in these years has led the country to be considered untrustworthy and unreliable around the world which does not meet any of its obligations,โ Rouhani was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as telling Ri.
โIn the current situation, friendly countries should develop their relations and cooperation in (the) international community,โ he said, adding Iran and North Korea have โalways had close viewsโ on many issues.
Ri traveled to Tehran after attending a security forum in Singapore, where he and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sparred over an agreement made at Juneโs landmark summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The two sides vowed to work toward North Koreaโs denuclearisation at the summit, but have since struggled to reach a deal to meet that goal. North Korea has been pursuing its weapons programmes in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions.
Ri told Rouhani that Washingtonโs pullout from the 2015 pact and restoration of sanctions was an
โaction against international rules and regulationsโ, IRNA said.
โNorth Koreaโs strategic policy is to deepen relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and confront unilateralism,โ he said.
Trump decided to restore sanctions against Iran despite pleas from other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washingtonโs main European allies, Britain, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China.
The sanctions have already led banks and many companies around the world to scale back dealings with Iran.
Companies doing business with Iran will be barred from the U. S., Trump said on Tuesday.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, said the country had nothing to be concerned about, his official website reported.
โWith regard to our situation do not be worried at all. Nobody can do anything,โ Khamenei said, the website reported.
โThey can be sure. There is no doubt about this.โ
