Tuesday, 11 August 2020 _Tehran says US President Donald Trump had four years’ time during his tenure to initiate diplomacy with Iran, but he failed to grasp the opportunity and instead directed the White House to make “the worst of mistakes” in dealing with the Islamic Republic.
Ali Rabiei, the spokesman of Iran’s administration, made the remarks on Tuesday in response to Trump, who recently told his supporters at a campaign fundraiser that he would reach a deal with Iran “within four weeks” if he is re-elected in November’s election.
The Iranian official dismissed Trump’s claims as a mere ploy to draw more votes, adding that if the US president, if re-elected, “will not succeed in striking an agreement as long as he continues the policy of pressure against Iran."
“Mr. Trump had four years’ time to start successful diplomacy with Iran by choosing the right, agreed and legal path. Not only he failed to do so, but he also made the worst mistakes of America in decades,” Rabiei told reporters.
Washington’s Iran policy took a highly belligerent turn under Trump, who has overseen a campaign of “maximum” economic pressure accompanied by military provocations.
The US unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran in 2018, when the Trump administration scrapped the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Trump also pushed Tehran and Washington to the brink of an all-out war by ordering the assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani during an official visit to Iraq in January.