MNA – An official at Australia’s foreign affairs and trade ministry, while criticizing US for violating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, stressed Melbourne’s resolve to maintain trade transactions with Tehran despite US sanctions.







Justin Lee, First Assistant Secretary of Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry’s Multilateral Policy Division, made the remarks in a meeting with head of Iran-Australia’s Friendship Parliamentary Group, Mahmoud Sadeghi, in Tehran on Wednesday.

Heading a human rights delegation to Iran, the Australian official also stressed the continuation of talks between Tehran and Melbourne on human rights issues, women’s conditions, and appropriate ways to help the most vulnerable strata of the society.

Mahmoud Sadeghi, for his part, censured Donald Trump’s unconventional behavior, saying “violation of various international treaties by the US indicates a lack of respect to international law and endangers global peace and security.”

The Iranian MP also thanked Australia for siding with the EU countries on deciding against compliance with Washington's policies toward the Iran nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump pulled US out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May and reinstated sanctions against Iran which had been lifted under the international agreement. Meanwhile, EU has been working toward saving the nuclear deal by guaranteeing Iran’s economic interests within certain proposed mechanisms.