Iran raps US interventionist approach in region

“The Iranian government and people attach no importance to US officials’ meddlesome remarks and acquisitive policies,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Wednesday.

“Efforts towards causing a rift among the Iranian nation’s closely-united ranks against American statesmen’s bothersome policies have never led and will never lead to any result,” he added.

On Tuesday, six Iranian nationals were sentenced to 10 years in prison each over charges of espionage and collaboration with the US government.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Ja’afari Dolatabadi identified the spies as Baqer and Siamak Namazi , both of whom have dual Iranian-American citizenship, Nazaar Zakaa, Farhad Abd-e Saleh, Kamran Qaderi and Alireza Omidvar.

Siamak Namazi was arrested by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in October 2015 and his father, Baqer, was arrested in February. Siamak formerly worked for the Sharjah-based oil and gas company Crescent Petroleum. Baqer is a former Iranian provincial governor and served as a UNICEF representative in Somalia, Kenya, Egypt and other countries.

Later on Tuesday, the US State Department expressed “deep” concerns about reports that the American citizens had been handed down the jail terms and demanded that all incarcerated US nationals be freed in Iran.

Qassemi further said that such “impolitic implied threats” would not only prove unconstructive, but also increase the Iranian nation’s distrust of the US.

The spokesman suggested that the State Department is attempting to lend an international aspect to such domestic issues as Iran is confronting spying activities within its borders.

/SR