US Behavior Toward Iran, Others Not Helpful – Austrian Politician

The United States’ actions in the Middle East, and particularly toward Iran, do not facilitate stabilization in the region, Austrian Second President of the National Council Karlheinz Kopf said Friday during a meeting with Russia’s speaker of the lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The United States still retains sanctions against Iran in space and human rights fields, and suspects Tehran of sponsoring terror, a claim repeatedly denied by Iran.

"As for the US behavior with regard to such countries like Iran and others, it does not promote stabilization of the situation but the other way around," Kopf said.

The second president of the Austrian parliament's lower chamber added that Vienna was interested in a partnership with Iran, noting that Tehran could contribute to stabilizing the Middle East.

"We are very interested on our side in cooperation with Iran, because I think that Iran can contribute to the stabilization process in the region," Kopf noted.

Kopf remarked that sanctions against the Iranian banking sector were still in place, halting the development of the country.

Iran and six world powers reached a framework agreement in July 2015 over the Iranian nuclear issue, forming a plan of action that should ease the sanctions regime against Tehran. The plan’s implementation began in January 2016.