The US ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday urged Iran to abandon its revolutionary ambitions and end what he called destructive interference in neighboring Mideast states.
“The international community must urge the Iranian regime to give up its false hope of revolution, forego its ambitions toward its neighbors, and stop meddling in the politics of other countries in the region,” Michael Waltz said in a speech at the UN.
“Instead, Iran should engage in direct and good-faith dialogue with the United States for the benefit of the Iranian people and the security of the region,” Waltz added.
Iran's relations with Washington appear to be deteriorating as an impasse over Iran's disputed nuclear program festers and European countries triggered the so-called snapback of international sanctions on Tehran last month.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech on Monday that Washington sought to bully Iran by making it concede defense capabilities, appearing to reject a peace overture the previous week by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking on the Gaza peace plan, Waltz praised the Trump administration for its achievement and called for greater pressure on Iran to ensure full implementation.
“Because of tough action against Iranian proxies, we are seeing historic opportunities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and across the region. In this spirit, the United States supports the reimposition of UN snapback sanctions on the Iranian regime,” he said.
The sanctions have further strained Iran's economy after a punishing 12-day war with Israel and the United States in June.
“The regime will continue to face consequences as long as it remains on its path of destruction,” Waltz said.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, rejected the remarks, saying Iran’s foreign policy is based on “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference and good neighborliness,” and that it “has always been ready for fair and genuine dialogue.”
Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that repeated US accusations were aimed at justifying what it calls its aggression.
Western countries have called for Tehran to engage in renewed diplomacy with Washington and restored access to international nuclear inspectors.
