Iran’s deputy FM: ‘No link’ between nuclear deal, regional meddling

Iran’s deputy foreign minister says there is no connection between the 2015 pact meant to limit the country’s nuclear program and Tehran’s regional ambitions.

“We have always fought against terrorism. Iran has always played a key role in bringing stability and peace to the region … There is no link between the (nuclear) deal and our role in the region,” Abbas Araqchi tells Reuters at a conference in Paris.

“Iran has always played a key role in establishing peace, restoring security and fighting against terrorism across the region,” he adds, while claiming the “policies of Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States have led to crises and wars in the Middle East.”

Araqchi is a top Iranian negotiator to the nuclear deal, which US President Donald Trump has vowed to ditch if it is not changed to address issues such as Iran’s ballistic missile program.