MP: Iran can bypass sanctions through strategic partnership deal with China
By Sadeq Dehqan & Farzam Vanaki
The 25-year strategic partnership deal with China will help Iran circumvent US sanctions, said an Iranian MP.
Abolfazl Aboutorabi, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s Councils and Domestic Affairs Committee, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily.
Describing the deal as positive for Iran, he added the US has realized that the Islamic Republic is entering a realm where it can make the sanctions ineffective and is concerned about the signing of the deal.
In May 2018, under an executive order by President Donald Trump, the US pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, signed between Iran and six major powers in July 2015, and reimposed a set of unilateral sanctions on Tehran, mainly targeting oil and banking sectors.
The Iran-China 25-year partnership deal is a strategic agreement based on which the Chinese will invest heavily in projects pertaining to Iran’s oil industry, the National Iranian Gas Company and the National Petrochemical Company as well as improvement of the country’s transportation sector infrastructure.
Aboutorabi said since the singing of this contract is in the interests of Iran and its Islamic establishment, the enemy is struggling to, through launching a propaganda campaign on social media, wage a psychological warfare against the deal and prevent its signing by making false claims that Iranian officials seek to cede some of the country’s Persian Gulf islands to China.
He added the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has tasked anti-Islamic Republic groups, such as the Mujahedin Khalq Organization – a foreign-backed terrorist cult responsible for killing thousands of Iranians, with a mission to launch a propaganda campaign on social and other media in a bid to persuade the public opinion that the deal will jeopardize Iran’s national interests and the country’s southern islands are being ceded to China, which basically is a false claim.
Stressing that Iranian officials are well informed about the deal, he assured the country’s people that the contract must first go through the Parliament’s chambers and lawmakers will study it precisely.
“Iranian lawmakers will not allow a deal that is against the country’s interests to be signed. Thus, people should not be concerned.A coalition of Iran, China and Russia can stand against US bullying.”
Neighbors and friendly countries, such as China, currently account for 85 percent of Iran’s trade, he said, noting, “Thus, we are already cooperating with China. Our collaboration with China is not a new issue.”
By signing this contract, Iran will be able to sell its oil to China, Aboutorabi added, saying, in return, China will make major investments in the development of Iran’s infrastructure.
The MP said China ranks first in the world in many fields, such as production of electric trains, noting that Iran can use these capacities.
Commenting on remarks by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a video conference with Iranian lawmakers on July 12, he said Ayatollah Khamenei advised the government work toward resolving people’s problems and the Parliament is required to help it to that end.
The Leader, of course, commented on the Parliament’s legislative role and stressed that everybody must obey law, Aboutorabi added.
Iran is among the few countries in the world to have common land and sea borders with 15 states, he noted, adding, therefore, it has an amazing capacity for expanding its foreign trade and economic cooperation.
“Neighboring states are interested in importing Iranian products, as they have many cultural commonalities with us and similar tastes.”
Highlighting the importance of using national currencies in Iran’s trade exchanges with the neighbors, Aboutorabi noted that this is what China is doing in its transactions with 40 countries.
“This form of trade transactions will help us get rid of the problems we face in terms of the price of the dollar and other currencies.”