Iran's ambassador in Lisbon gave an interview to Correio da Manhã, in which he defended that the Iranian path towards democracy cannot be achieved through the application of sanctions on Tehran. The diplomat criticized what he considered to be a contradiction, asking for democracy but imposing what he considers illegal sanctions.
The ambassador mentioned that he has not received any communication from the Government of Montenegro regarding the use of the Lajes Base, which is located on Terceira island, in the Azores, and is a strategic military infrastructure managed by the United States.
According to the ambassador, the Iranians consider that Portugal is not an "enemy" country of Iran, at a time when the relations between Tehran and various Western countries are marked by diplomatic tensions and political pressures.
The interview comes in a context of new international sanctions imposed on Iran by Western powers, which justify these measures with concerns related to the Iranian nuclear program and human rights issues.
