Iran warns North Korea not to trust the US

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Photo: AFP

"By withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and by what happened in the negotiations with North Korea, the United States has shown itself to be an unreliable dialogue partner," Araqchi said during a meeting with a delegation of senior North Korean officials visiting Tehran to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Araqchi added that the US tool against independent countries like Iran and North Korea is economic sanctions, but they cannot break the determination of both countries. Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran is ready to develop political ties with North Korea, saying Tehran is ready to prepare for Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's visit to Pyongyang.

The representative of the North Korean delegation affirmed that the two countries need to strengthen cooperation in many fields such as economy, politics, parliament and international. Pyongyang alsopraising bilateral political relationsbetween North Korea and Iran and the"good, friendly relations between the two countries on all fronts".

This is not the first time Iran has warned North Korea not to trust the US. President Hassan Rouhani told North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho last August that the US was "untrustworthy".

"The performance of the United States in recent years has made this country unreliable in the international community when it does not comply with any of its obligations," Rouhani said, asserting that Iran and North Korea have always had "close views" in many cases.

Iran and North Korea are both subject to US sanctions on a variety of sectors. Relations between the US and North Korea have improved significantly following summits between the two countries' leaders, but bilateral talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula have recently reached a stalemate.