Iran says U.S. exit from Paris accord “irresponsible”

TEHRAN, June 4 (Xinhua) — Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the United States has not acted responsibly by moving out of Paris Climate Agreement, Tehran Times daily reported on Sunday.

“The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris accord indicates the irresponsibility of this country’s government vis-a-vis the international community,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.

“Climate changes have caused big global challenges and combating the horrific consequences of them requires complete and sincere cooperation of all countries, particularly industrialized governments,” said Qasemi.

The Iranian spokesperson urged the international community to compel the new U.S. administration to completely and precisely implement Washington’s international commitments.

On Saturday, Iran’s Vice President and Head of Environmental Protection Organization Masoumeh Ebtekar said that Paris climate accord is a global agreement and the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty does not inflict any harm on the accord.

Paris Climate Agreement should be regarded as a golden opportunity leading us toward convergence, Ebtekar was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency.

Most of the world states are not satisfied with the U.S. president’s quit decision and have criticized it, she said.

In an announcement on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to free domestic oil and coal industries from the constraints of the Paris Climate Agreement, which went into effect in 2016.

The historic agreement, which involves a unified and worldwide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of global warming from 2020, was signed in Paris in 2015. Since then, more than 190 nations have signed the deal, with 146 of those countries having already ratified it.