Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the US’s allocation of Afghanistan’s frozen funds to split between September 11 victims as “plunder”.

This is not the first time the US plunders another country’s funds, Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a press briefing on Monday, adding that the US believes that it possesses the funds of all countries and it can issue a verdict as a judge or jury and confiscate others’ properties.

The US has invaded a country and has caused billions of dollars of indirect damage both to its own taxpayers and to the defenseless people of Afghanistan, but still it doesn’t leave alone the remainder of the funds of Afghan people, the spokesman said.

This is a shameful, anti-human and embarrassing act for the US, Khatibzadeh noted, adding that the US should reconsider, since the world has changed and Washington should receive this message.

Asked on the latest developments regarding the talks in Vienna, he said that he had a conversation with Iran’s top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani today.

He said the talks have reached key issues and all parties pursue the case with sensitivity.

Iran has had some proposals and the other parties have done the same, too, which is natural in this kind of negotiation processes, the diplomat stated, warning that media machinations shouldn’t be taken serious.

Khatibzadeh also commented on the recent row over a photo gaffe by the Russian ambassador to Iran, saying that every distinguished ambassador and diplomat knows that they shouldn’t hurt public opinion of the host country.

This act didn’t go with Iran’s highly excellent relations with Russia, he underlined, adding that the issue was followed up through related channels.

He also said that Iran-Russia ties were multi-layered, multi-dimensional and strategic partnership.

He stressed that the recent visit of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Russia and his lengthy meeting with his Russian counterpart, the two countries' plans to expand ties and Russia and Iran's reciprocal support of each other indicate an alignment between the two countries.

 

 

By IRNA