Zarif: US must change approach to JCPOA if seeks Iran talks

As Reported by Qods News Agency (Qodsna) Zarif made the remarks in a wide-ranging exclusive interview over the weekend with USA TODAY as the US re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran’s energy and banking sectors on Monday.

He added that Iran would weigh fresh diplomacy if there were "foundations for a fruitful dialogue" on the Iran nuclear reduction deal.

"Mutual trust is not a requirement to start negotiations – mutual respect is a requirement," Zarif said in the 45-minute interview.

He emphasized that the current US "administration does not believe in diplomacy. It believes in imposition."

US President Donald Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program.

Despite Washington's withdrawal, Iran has not left the deal yet, but stressed that the remaining signatories to the agreement have to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they wanted Tehran to remain in it.

The other parties to the JCPOA have repeatedly announced that the deal is working and should stay in place.

"The possibility that the US will be able to achieve its economic goals through these sanctions is very remote and there is certainly no possibility that it will attain its political goals through such sanctions," the top Iranian diplomat said, emphasizing that the new US sanctions would mainly have "psychological effects."

A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran's access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector.

Elsewhere in his interview, Zarif pointed to various international agreements Trump has abandoned or renegotiated since taking office in January 2017 and said, “Mutual respect starts with respecting yourself, with respecting your signature, respecting your own word."

'Iran used to sanctions'

The top Iranian diplomat said Washington forces the international community to break a nuclear deal that was enshrined in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

"The current US administration is essentially asking all members of the international community to violate international law," Zarif said, adding, "Iran is used to US sanctions. We've had them for almost 39 years."

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi told IRIB on Friday that the United States is seeking to wage an extensive “psychological war” against Tehran by imposing a fresh round of sanctions, stressing that the Islamic Republic has no concerns over such US bids.

"There is no room for any concern. We should wait and see that the US will not be able to carry out any measure against the great and brave Iranian nation," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

World not allowing Trump to destroy global order

In a relevant development also on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to denounce the US administration for the reimposition of economic sanctions on Iran, implying that the US sanctions  would disturb global order in its entirety.

Noting that new round of US sanctions on Iran targeted ordinary people in the country in defiance of the UN Security Council’s resolution that upheld the JCPOA, Zarif emphasized that the world would not allow Washington to disturb the global order.

Today, US defied UN top court & Security Council by reimposing sanctions on Iran that target ordinary people. But US bullying is backfiring, not just because JCPOA is important, but because the world can't allow Trump & Co. to destroy global order. The US—& not Iran—is isolated. pic.twitter.com/206g1BFqbU

"US bullying is backfiring, not just because JCPOA is important, but because the world can't allow Trump & Co. to destroy global order. The US—& not Iran—is isolated," Zarif said.

UK regrets imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran

Meanwhile, the British government regretted the decision by the US to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

"We regret the reimposition of sanctions by the US. We continue to believe that the Iran nuclear deal makes the world a safer place and our position remains that as long as Iran continues to meet its obligations under the deal by respecting strict limits on its nuclear activity, we will be committed to it too," Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said.

May’s spokesman added, "As such we continue to fully support expanding our trade relationship with Iran and encourage UK businesses to take advantage of commercial opportunities that arise."

The United States reimposed a new round of unilateral economic sanctions on Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors on Monday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying in a statement that "imposition of unprecedented financial pressure on Iran” was aimed at changing what he described as Iran's “destabilizing behavior."

The new round of US sanctions cover 50 Iranian banks and subsidiaries as  well as more than 200 persons and vessels in its shipping sector, and targets Tehran's national airline, Iran Air, and more than 65 of its aircraft.