Iranian President:

US Sanctions against Zarif out of Desperation

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted the US sanctions against Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as a move out of Washington's desperation and indicative of ineffectiveness of its pressures on Tehran.

News ID: 446304

Date: 02 August 2019 - 21:54

RNA - "Americans are resorting to childish behavior... Maybe there's no better way to describe (the sanctions) but childish. They have been claiming every day that they want to talk, with no preconditions ...and then they sanction the foreign minister. This means that they have lost the power of rational thought," President Rouhani said on Thursday, addressing the inaugural ceremony of Combined Cycle Power Plant in Heris region in East Azarbaijan province.

"Such measures mean that our enemies have become so much desperate that they have lost the opportunity to use their wisdom and reasoning," he underlined.

"They are afraid of our foreign minister's interviews. It is completely clear that the foundations of the White House have been shaken by the words and logic of an informed, devoted and diplomatic individual," the president said, alluding to a series of interviews Zarif gave to foreign media outlets.

Imposition of sanctions against Iran is a moral, political and legal failure for them, Rouhani said.

"Sanctioning Iran is tantamount to a failure of their commitments against international bodies and the United Nations and also in the face of a great 82-million population of the country,” he added.

“Despite sanctions, we will stand on our own feet, in a way that the Islamic Republic of Iran has gained numerous achievements in the field of new technologies,” Rouhani said.

The US Department of Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions against Zarif.

Zarif, who has been Iran’s foreign minister since 2013, was the chief negotiator in the multinational nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Trump administration said last month it was planning to impose sanctions against Iranian top diplomat.

According to Fars News Agancy, in reaction to the decision, Zarif played down the US sanctions against him, expressing pleasure that he is considered as a "huge threat" to Washington's plots.

"The US' reason for designating me is that I am Iran's primary spokesperson around the world," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account early Thursday.
"It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran," he added, asking the US whether the truth is really painful.
"Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda," Zarif reiterated.

"We know that calling for dialog and peace is an existential threat to B-Team. And since reason for designating me is my words, would US persons need OFAC license to engage with me by reading my writings or listening to interviews?" he wrote two hours later.

Zarif had earlier told the New York Times that "everyone who knows me knows that I, or my family, do not own any property outside Iran. I personally do not even have a bank account outside Iran. Iran is my entire life and my sole commitment. So I have no personal problem with possible sanctions".

"The only impact--and possibly the sole objective--of a possible designation would be to limit my ability to communicate. And I doubt that would serve anyone. Certainly, it would limit the possibility of informed decision making in Washington," he added.

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