Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif conditioned any talk with the Americans to Washington's giving up its policy of using 'economic terrorism' against Iranian people.
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rif in an interview with the London-based Al Araby TV said the US has waged an economic war against Iranian people which amounts to economic terrorism.
It means that the US is exerting illegal pressure on the people to reach its political goals, he said.
Nobody negotiates with terrorists, Zarif said.
There is no difference between military and economic wars, the top diplomat said, adding that the main damage will be on the region as in a tense situation anything might occur.
We have good relations with most of the countries in the region, Zarif added, commenting on Iran's ties with the region, arguing that a couple of countries in the region mistakenly believe in the security provided by the US.
What "we want from the US is to avoid intervening in Iran's relations with other countries or pressing them to breaching their obligations", the Iranian top diplomat said in the interview released on Wednesday evening.
The Americans are facing myriads of problems caused by their past wrong decisions, he said.
The problems, however, will not be solved by pressuring Iran, the foreign minister said.
He also urged the US to stop supporting the occupation of the Palestine territories, the holy city of Quds and Golan Heights by the Zionist regime, and putting an end to their efforts in advancing the so-called 'Deal of the Century'.
Commenting on the European mechanism known as the Instrument In Support of Trade Exchanges, INSTEX, Zarif said Europe has to chose whom to support, but what is worth bearing in mind is that a state has failed to meet its obligations, breached international agreements, and has considered only its own interests.
The European signatories to the nuclear deal with Iran affirmed their commitment to the deal after the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018 and re-imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran.
They pledged to devise a financial mechanism to neutralize the limitations the US imposed on European companies for doing business with Iran.
Iran on the first anniversary of the US withdrawal announced a reduction in its commitment to the deal in reaction to Europe's failure to deliver its pledges.
Referring to Iran's efforts in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration, Zarif said Iran has spent a lot, while Europe had to cooperate according to the international law.
Instead, he said, they not only have evaded the costs, but also they have contributed to the sanctions against Iran.
No multilateral agreement can be implemented unilaterally, he emphasized.
According to the Iranian foreign minister, Europe and the international community have the potential to safeguard Iran's interest under the nuclear deal.
But they did not use the potential because they either wanted to do so or they lacked the political will to use the potential, Zarif said.
Questioning the military budget and measures of the United Arab Emirates, Zarif referred to the 22 billion dollars the UAE spent last year to buy arms, and said that Iran with 80 million people last year had a 16-billion dollar military budget, but the small Arab country with only one million indigenous population allocated a 16-billion-dollar military budget plus 22 billion dollars of arm deals last year.
The Iranian diplomat also criticized the UAE for its role in the war in Yemen and bombing civilian targets.
Is this a self-defense or the expansionist policy of some young rulers in the region, he asked.
Answering a question on Iran's influence in the region, he said Iran is a part of the region, and has fought terrorism to safeguard the regional security therefore no party can deny its role in the region. ■