US’ Sanctions against Zarif End of White House’s Age of Deception

“Sanctions against Zarif put an end to the claim for deceptive diplomacy which had no objective but to pose pressure on Iran,” Jalali said on Friday.

“Today, those who held that there was still a way to keep negotiating with the US must have reached the conclusion that the US does not believe in negotiation at all and Washington has closed the doors to real dialogue free of politico-economic sanctions,” he added.

He went on saying that the goal of imposing sanctions against Zarif is to muffle the voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the international level.

“I wish the White House’s move to impose sanctions against the Iranian foreign minister was registered in the history by those who always flaunt the US support for freedom of speech,” he said, adding, “The US showed with this move that it is the father of censoring and filtering in the world.”

“The Americans’ behavior of distancing from wisdom and diplomacy shows the end of their campaign of political pressures against Iran,” he underlined.

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.

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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