TEHRAN – The Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the U.S. aims to create division between Iran and some European countries by holding an anti-Iran summit in Warsaw, Poland, next month.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi made the remarks during his bi-weekly press conference.

“This is an American measure with specific aims,” he said, adding that Poland’s deputy foreign minister visited Tehran to discuss the issue, and that Tehran will monitor the summit with “pessimism”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier this month that the meeting would “focus on Middle East stability and peace and freedom and security here in this region, and that includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence.”

On the UK foreign secretary’s plan to attend the summit, Qassemi said Iran does not meddle in what summits the British diplomat attends, but will watch the Warsaw summit closely because it attaches importance to the conduct of other countries in the summit.

Answering a question about the prospects of the European Union’s exclusive payment mechanism, known as the special purpose vehicle (SPV), the spokesman said Iran is waiting to see how the EU will make up for its delay in establishing the SPV.

“We should wait and see what the European side eventually unveils,” he said of the mechanism which is key to EU efforts to save the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in the face of U.S. sanctions.

The EU was expected to unveil the SPV on Monday.

Qassemi also commented on Germany’s decision to withdraw landing permission for Iran’s Mahan Air, saying the move was “unbecoming” and contrary to the spirit of bilateral relations.

“I hope they rectify this mistake and restore the situation to its previous state,” he remarked.

He further said, “We have communicated our protest to the German ambassador in Tehran, and will pursue our diplomatic efforts.”

Mahan Air is also following up on the issue through different channels, Qassemi added.

MH/PA