Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended last week’s historic nuclear accord with world powers before some of his most vocal critics in the country’s parliament.
"No one can say that Iran caved," Tasnim News Agency cited Zarif as saying on Tuesday, when the terms of the agreement were formally submitted to parliament. "If we want to talk of submission, it’s the submission of the great powers in the face of the people."
The accord has met with criticism from some Iranian politicians who say it encroaches on the country’s missile programs. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thanked negotiators for the deal on July 18, while stressing that the country’s relationship to the U.S. and its alliances in the region remained unchanged.
"All of Iran’s defense and security capabilities will be preserved and the country’s regional policies won’t be changed," Tasnim cited Zarif as saying. Israel has "never been so isolated," he said.
On Monday, Major General Mohammed Ali Jafari, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said the accord violated "major red lines" regarding arms capabilities.
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