TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on European countries to accelerate their efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, after the U.S. withdrew from the multilateral deal and ordered sanctions against Iran.

Zarif told Radio Tehran during a live program on Saturday morning that the European parties to the JCPOA have not been able to adequately comply with their commitments to salvage the deal.

“However, the Europeans have politically stood up to their biggest ally. We fully understand America’s isolation and are witnessing the American authorities’ rage because of this isolation,” he said, Tasnim reported.

“It is clear that they have strong disagreements about BARJAM (the Persian acronym for the JCPOA), and it doesn’t seem they’re playing good cop, bad cop [with Iran],” he remarked.

Hypocritical policy
 
Zarif said the U.S. government pretends it favors talks with Tehran but reimposes sanctions against Iran.

Tehran believes that “the Americans pursue a hypocritical policy by trying to say that they are seeking dialogue,” he said, adding that since Washington has not abided by its commitments under the nuclear talks, Iran sees no point in entering talks with the U.S.

U.S. militarizing dollar and economy

The chief diplomat went on say that Americans are “militarizing” their economy and dollar.

“If fact, Americans are militarizing the economy and dollar, and thereby the world has reached this conclusion that it should study this issue,” Zarif remarked.

The U.S., by using is military and economic power excessively, has prompted the world to think about a solution to get itself rid of Washington’s “imprisonment”, the foreign minister noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif emphasized that Iran does not shape its policies on the basis of U.S. internal affairs and domestic developments, ruling out the results of the recent U.S. Congressional elections as a crucial factor shaping Iran’s foreign policy. 

“It is a reality that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats agree with Iran, no doubt about it,” the foreign minister explained.

Earlier this week, the U.S. government unleashed a second round of sanctions against Iran. The punitive measures targeted 700 individuals, banks, aircraft, ships and companies tied to Iran’s energy and financial industries.

They came months after Washington scrapped the JCPOA, which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and six world powers including Russia, China, the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and the European Union.

BARJAM has revealed true face of Iran and U.S. to the entire world

Asked whether he would have continued the nuclear talks if he knew the U.S. would pull out of the agreement, Zarif said, “Yes, we would have definitely done so. Because I believe that BARJAM has revealed the true face of Iran and America to the whole world.”

“It (BARJAM) has broken the global consensus on Iran, and destroyed the notion that Iran is a security threat in the world,” he added.

MH/PA