FM:

US Should Stop Economic Terrorism against Iranian People

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blasted the US for practicing economic terrorism against Tehran, saying that it has targeted the country's ordinary people.

News ID: 78096

Date: 18 July 2019 - 21:33

Speaking to reporters before the annual meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York on Wednesday, Zarif said that the US has engaged in an economic war against the Iranian nation.

The economic war Trump takes pride in has targeted the civilians, he said.

The war has targeted ordinary people, as it is a terrorist move to push political plans and this should be halted, Zarif said, noting that translation of terrorism in legal terms is "to change a country's policies or make the public change their ways".

This is the very thing the Americans are doing, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that this is a terrorist policy and "we will never talk to the terrorists".

In relevant remarks last Thursday, Zarif had also said that his country would not hold talks with Washington while it is practicing economic terrorism against Iran.

"The Americans, themselves, decided to leave the negotiating table and now, they lie to deceive others claiming that they are ready for negotiations. If they are ready for negotiations, negotiations do not go with terrorism. They, themselves, do not negotiate with the terrorists either and we do not negotiate with those who practice economic terrorism against our people either. They should stop this," Zarif told reporters in Tehran.

Washington withdrew from the internationally-endorsed 2015 nuclear deal with Iran on May 2018, reimposed the toughest-ever sanctions against the country and started a plan to zero down Tehran's oil sales.

Under the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers in July 2015, Tehran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

Yet, Iran continued compliance with the deal, stressing that the remaining signatories to the agreement, specially the Europeans had to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they want Tehran to remain in compliance. The Iranian officials had earlier warned that the European Union’s failure in providing the needed ground for Tehran to enjoy the economic benefits of the nuclear deal would exhaust the country's patience.

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