TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani voiced concern about the US conduct in implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers.

“Despite the Islamic Republic’s goodwill in implementing the JCPOA as well as useful efforts by certain parties to the deal to accelerate the implementation of the plan, the United States of America’s paradoxical behavior -fraught with obscurity- remains to be a serious source of concern,” Shamkhani said at a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully, held in Tehran on Saturday.

He also described the JCPOA, the agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), as a major ground for the establishment and promotion of trust between Iran and non-hostile countries.

Shamkhani further highlighted the widespread harmful effects of terrorism and extremism, calling for concerted global action to fight off the root causes of the threat to the international community.

For his part, McCully hailed Iran as a major country with influential status in the region’s political, security and economic equations, and voiced Wellington’s eagerness to resume trade and political ties with Tehran.

The visiting minister also called for closer cooperation with Iran in the fight against terrorism.

The New Zealand diplomat has held separate meetings with other senior Iranian officials during his visit to Tehran.

His trip comes against the backdrop of coming into force of the JCPOA in January that terminated all nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

By Tasnim News Agency