No moral responsibility involved in America’s dealings with Iran: Writer

There have never been “any moral responsibility involved” in America’s dealings with Iran, an American writer and former professor has said.

News ID: 449907

Date: 05 April 2020 - 20:39

RNA - E Michael Jones, the current editor of Culture Wars magazine, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on US President Donald Trump’s recent statement regarding Iran sanctions.

Trump said on Thursday that the US has no “moral responsibility” to suspend sanctions against Iran if Tehran does not ask for it to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 3,400 and infected over 55,000 people in Iran.

"No, no, no, they didn't even ask me about it," Trump said during a press briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force when asked if he had a "moral responsibility" to lift the sanctions.

Trump added that he would only consider “helping” Iran if “they asked”.

Jones said, “Bringing up moral responsibility is the farthest thing from anybody's mind in this administration, because there's never been any moral responsibility involved in their dealings with Iran, certainly not beginning with the Trump administration, and the revocation of the nuclear deal.”

“First of all, you have a moral responsibility to adhere to the agreements that your government sign. You're representing that government; you have a responsibility to stick with what they say,” he stated.

“But the whole point of moral responsibility has gone out the window in terms of our foreign policy. So obviously there's no moral accountability whatsoever here in our foreign policy and that's the source of the problem,” he noted.

“The fact that the coronavirus is now causing problems throughout the world has not changed anyone's mind,” he said.

“The Treasury Department is still imposing sanctions in spite of the coronavirus. So it's just hypocritical to talk about it to use the word moral responsibility when you're subverting every instance of moral accountability during your administration,” he concluded.

Despite repeated calls by Iran, US officials have refused to lift draconian sanctions harming Iran's efforts to contain the coronavirus while simultaneously claiming readiness to “aid Iranians” if “they ask”.

The Iranian leadership has dismissed the offer as hypocritical “words without action” but has urged the international community to act against Washington’s “economic terrorism” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in a televised address last week, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that it was among the “weirdest things which they tell us to ask them” for sanctions relief as Washington continues to impose new sanctions on the country.

The US imposed its latest round of sanctions targeting allegedly Iran-related individuals and companies last week.

Washington’s insistence on unilateral sanctions against Iran comes despite the call of various international leaders and organizations urging sanctions relief for Iran as the country grapples with the coronavirus outbreak.

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