Iran continues post-deal bashing of Israel, calls it 'cause of extremism'

Expert says deal contained no curb on Iranian threats – in word or deed.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Updated: JULY 19, 2015 02:12
Iranians celebrate deal with dancing in the streets of Tehran
The nuclear deal signed on Tuesday has not stopped Iranian inflammatory rhetoric against Israel.
Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi said on Wednesday night that Israel plots discord among Muslims and is the root cause of extremism in the Islamic world, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday.
Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors of Islamic states in Tehran, he called for vigilance against plots hatched by the “enemies of Islam,” and for Muslim unity.
The issue of “Palestine” remains a main concern, Sarmadi said.
Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the US Department of the Treasury, told the Post on Thursday: “The deal, by President Barack Obama’s own admission, is narrowly defined around the Iranian nuclear program. There was no curb on regional destabilization, and no curb on the threats – in word or deed – against Israel.
“If anything, the deal sent a message to Iran that its threats against Israel are not Washington’s concern,” Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, added.
“In the meantime, with sanctions set to be repealed and the financial system about to open up to Iran, we expect to see trade increase exponentially,” predicted Schanzer.
Also on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was scheduled to travel to Oman and Qatar, in his first visit to the Arab Gulf states since the nuclear accord was signed.
For his part, President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran is committed to uphold its end of the nuclear deal as long as there is no breach from the other side.
“Our decision is to remain committed to what has been stipulated in this agreement unless the opposite side would not intend to remain committed to it,” he said, speaking at a cabinet session on Wednesday, Tasnim reported.
Meanwhile, the race to forge business deals in Iran has moved into high gear.
Vienna, where the nuclear pact was reached, is set to host an Iran-EU trade and investment conference next week in order to provide networking opportunities with Iranian businesses and decision- makers.
Various senior figures and executives from Austria, France, Britain, Germany and other countries are scheduled to attend, according to the conference website.
Three Spanish ministers, led by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, plan to visit the Islamic Republic in September in order to renew economic relations, Spanish newspaper ABC reported on Thursday.
Spain was one of the European countries most affected by the embargo on Iran, as Iran was its second-biggest supplier of oil, accounting for around 14 percent of oil imports.
Moscow and Tehran are holding talks about Russia supplying the Islamic Republic with Sukhoi Superjet passenger planes, Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said on Wednesday.
“Such talks are being held,” Sokolov told reporters. “And not only Superjets, but also other technology is being met with certain interest from our Iranian comrades.”
Reuters contributed to this report.