Bloomberg - To the Editor:

Re Eli Lake�s column, �Sabotage in Iran Is Preferable to a Deal With Iran� (July 13):

Lake�s column is one that against all journalistic standards encourages violence, terror and sabotage, and makes a number of factual errors and assumptions.

Firstly, praising the illegal assassination of nuclear scientists and encouraging sabotage in Iran�s infrastructures amounts to what are inhumane, barbaric acts that promote violence and terrorism. Such measures do nothing less than keeping tensions high, and could ignite a full range escalation. Iran has publicly announced: �If it�s concluded that a regime or a government had a hand in the incident, directly or indirectly, the Islamic Republic will respond decisively.�

Secondly, five years ago, we reached an historic agreement, the JCPOA, or Iran Nuclear Deal, which addressed different aspects of Iran�s peaceful nuclear program. It was only after two years of intensive, difficult negotiations that all parties were satisfied that all issues had been resolved. It was the Trump administration that unilaterally withdrew from this international accord and violated UN Security Council resolution 2231, which enshrined it in international law. Consequently, the the rest of the world has strongly criticized this blatant U.S. retreat from its obligations.

Thirdly, it should be mentioned that Iran has been the biggest victim of chemical weapons attacks in contemporary history, courtesy of Saddam Hussein, who was supported by the West in his war on Iran. These attacks were accompanied not only by silence, but also with the shameful aid of Western countries. Iran has no program or plans to produce chemical weapons, and the claim made in the opinion piece is not just bizarre, but completely fallacious.



Alireza Miryousefi

Minister and head of media office

Mission of I.R. Iran to the UN

July 16, 2020