Zarif warns against backlash of US approach to JCPOA

TEHRAN(defapress) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned against backlash of the US administration approach toward Iran nuclear deal famously known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

News ID: 73675

Date: 13 November 2018 - 13:52

Zarif in an interview with the media department of Iranian Presidential Office that he released on his Twitter account on Tuesday, blasted Washington for its bullying approach towards the world countries.

'President [Donald] Trump has committed I think a great mistake as Richard Haass has pointed out and that is he has tried to project the American military might as well as the American economic might over the ability of the rest of the international community to accept it and that has created the backlash,' Zarif said, referring to the call by French President Emmanuel Macron on other European countries to establish European Army not only to counter Russia and China but to counter the United States.

'Backlash among US allies, backlash in Europe so the America First approach has in fact created this backlash and everybody expected it I think Richard Haass predicted this in the beginning of the Trump administration and now we are seeing the results,' he added.

On November 8, Richard N. Haass President of the American nonprofit think tank Council on Foreign Relations tweeted that 'Something I didn't expect to hear. A French president calling for a European army to counter not just China and Russia but even the United States. America First has brought us the revival of the spirit of De Gaulle. More evidence of a post-American world.'

'I think the United States is an extremely powerful country the military expenditure of the United States is equal to the military expenditure of all other countries combined however the excessive use of any strength leads to its demise and leads to reaction in the part of the international community,' Iran's top diplomat said.

'We had predicted it; we believe that the US failure to respect its international commitments is creating that backlash,' Zarif reiterated.

'It is not limited to the Iran nuclear deal it includes other agreements like NAFTA, Transpacific partnership, UNESCO, climate control, all sorts of agreements, I mean the United States under President Trump believes that it does not need to respect international law and because he believes he is too confident of its power.'

Zarif also urged the European parties to set up the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) mechanism as soon as possible and while he conceded that there are challenges faced by the EU nations, he went on to stress that 'I believe while we recognize the fact that the Europeans are facing those challenges, we believe that it is their responsibility to address it and if they believe that the JCPOA, the nuclear deal, is a security requirement for them, they must be prepared to invest in that and investment should go beyond the political statement.'

In response to another question whether Iran has thought of walking away from the JCPOA, Zarif said 'There are many options that are available to Iran that is one of the options available within the JCPOA, there are options available outside the nuclear situation, so we examine all those options.'

The Iranian foreign minister also elaborated on the US mid-term elections which was held on November 6, saying 'I think what will happen in the United States is something that would be determined by the domestic dynamics of the US.

'But we determine our foreign policy based on our own analysis of the global situation not on domestic ingredients in different countries,' Zarif said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the recent allegations made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as scorning Iranians, saying 'It is clear that Iran has survived and will survive and will make progress without the United States and in spite of the United States what is clear in their statement by Mr Pompeo is that he is declaring that whatever he says about not targeting Iranian people is simply untrue.'

'He is targeting Iranian people not only Iranian people in general but even he is trying in vain in our point of view to starve Iranian people because he says if the government wants its people to eat our people will eat we will never submit to the United States but that statement shows the malicious intent of the United States,' he reiterated.

Zarif in an earlier message had slammed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his audacity to threaten ordinary Iranians.

“@SecPompeo has audacity to threaten crimes against humanity targeting ordinary Iranians; then attacks media for reporting his own words,he should either own what he says, or disown what US does. Can't have it both ways,” he tweeted on Monday.

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