TEHRAN, August 7 - Iranian President’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi slammed a recent move by the US government to impose sanctions on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and said it proved the “falsehood” of Washington’s claims on willingness to negotiate with Tehran.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - “The US government’s move to sanction the foreign minister revealed to the world, in the best way, the contradiction and falsehood of their claims on negotiation (with Iran),” Vaezi said at a meeting with Zarif in Tehran on Monday evening.
The Iranian Establishment is completely united in condemning this move by the US and supporting the foreign minister, he added.
“The US government assumed that sanctioning Zarif would limit and weaken the influence of his words and especially his logic in negotiations and interviews, as well as his position as a foreign minister at home,” the official stated.
However, Vaezi added, the international community condemned the Trump administration’s move against the Iranian top diplomat, whose popularity has increased more than ever.
On Wednesday, the US Department of State said Washington has designated Zarif for acting on behalf of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. The US president had issued an executive order on June 24, imposing sanctions on the Leader and his office and authorizing sanctions on others associated with Ayatollah Khamenei.
The senior Iranian diplomat has dismissed the US move, saying that being designated by the US would not affect him since he has ho properties outside Iran.
“We know that calling for dialog & 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?” Zarif said in a Twitter post.
Source: Tasnim