TEHRAN – In a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the “inheritors of the ancient Persian civilization don’t base their strategy on ‘advice’ of foreigners-let alone Americans.”

The remarks by Zarif came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a tweet that Iran is being given very bad advice by former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry “and people who helped him lead the U.S. into the very bad Iran Nuclear Deal.”

Zarif also said the decision by Trump’s administration to end sanctions waivers on Iran’s oil exports shows “panic and desperation” in Washington.

“Escalating #EconomicTERRORISM against Iranians exposes panic & desperation of US regime—and chronic failures of its client co-conspirators,” Zarif tweeted.

Escalating #EconomicTERRORISM against Iranians exposes panic & desperation of US regime—and chronic failures of its client co-conspirators.

REAL news, @realdonaldtrump: Inheritors of ancient Persian civilization don't base strategy on "advice" of foreigners—let alone Americans.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 23, 2019

Washington announced on Monday that all Iran sanction waivers will end by May, causing crude oil prices to rise and pressuring importers to cut their Iranian imports to zero.

China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it has formally complained to the United States over its decision to end waivers on sanctions on Iranian oil imports, adding another fault line to already complicated Beijing-Washington ties.

China is resolutely opposed to the United States enforcing unilateral sanctions or “long armed jurisdiction”, Geng Shuang, a ministry spokesman, told a daily news briefing.

“The decision from the U.S. will contribute to volatility in the Middle East and in the international energy market. We urge the United States to take a responsible attitude and play a constructive role, not the opposite,” Geng said, according to Reuters.
MH/PA