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Tehran: No Need to Test Washington or Kuwaiti Mediation with Gulf States | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi briefs journalists at a press conference in Tehran on August 22, 2016. (screen capture: YouTube)


London- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said Monday that Tehran is by no means in need of testing the United States’ new administration, stressing the need for exercising self-restraint, avoiding rash responses to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning.

Recent test-firing of a medium-range ballistic missile is not a message to Donald Trump and his administration, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, adding that Tehran doesn’t need to test the U.S. president, as it knows him “quite well.”

Ghasemi denied allegations on Russian mediation being worked out for enhancing Tehran-Washington relations. White House statements against Iranian foreign policy in Iraq, Yemen and Syria were also rejected by the FM spokesperson.

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri cautioned that the “ultimate losers” were those who employed the “language of force” against Iran. He also dismissed the presence of Kuwaiti mediation between Iran and Gulf States.

VP Jahangiri demanded Iranian top clerics and officials, when meeting at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, that Tehran would not be the first to roll back from the nuclear agreement.

Ghasemi urged Iranian’s not to test the U.S. administration’s limits, and advised both caution and patience.

“Iran’s missile test was not a message to the new U.S. government,” Ghasemi said on Monday, as cited by Reuters. “There is no need to test Mr. Trump as we have heard his views on different issues in recent days… We know him quite well,” he said.

Ghasemi, however, countered U.S. serious warnings against Iran’s ballistic missile program, saying that it is within national interests and stability. No one has the right to meddle with the program, said Ghasemi.

Ghasemi said that U.S. renewed sanctioning on Iran will be faced by Tehran listing U.S. individuals, companies and institutions for international sanctions. The listing will allegedly target companies supporting extremist terrorist organizations such as ISIS. Ghasemi added that the response is in light of the ‘wrong and unfair’ decisions taken by the Trump administration.