TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Friday that the "anti-Iran provisions" of the U.S. Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reflect Washington's "hostile, provocative and meddlesome" beliefs and policies, official news agency IRNA reported.
"Some of the anti-Iranian provisions included in the US 2023 NDAA reflect the continuation of the hostile, provocative and interventionist beliefs and policies of the United States and are meant to promote the Iranophobia campaign and to create an atmosphere of security (threats) against Iran," said Nasser Kanaani, spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry, was quoted by IRNA as saying.
Kanaani slammed the claims made in the NDAA against Iran as "baseless" and proof of the U.S. "destructive and destabilizing" role in West Asia.
Iran has repeatedly pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, Kanaani said, adding his country, as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements, is familiar with its rights and obligations.
Slandering Iran's "peaceful nuclear activities" will not help legitimize Washington's unilateral coercive measures and its "illegal sanctions" against Tehran, he noted.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Fiscal 2023 NDAA into law allotting 816.7 billion U.S. dollars to the Defense Department.
The United States accused Iran in the NDAA of "demonstrating aggression" against regional countries through missile and drone attacks, seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and being uncooperative with the IAEA. ■
