TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the U.S. is playing a “very very dangerous game” by increasing its military presence in the region.

“Iran is not interested in escalation. We have said very clearly that we will not be the party to begin escalation, but we will defend ourselves. Having all these military assets in a small waterway (Persian Gulf) is prone to accident, particularly when you have people who are interested in accidents.  We believe that the U.S. is playing a very very dangerous game,” he told CNN in an interview aired on Tuesday.

The chief diplomat said all will suffer if a war breaks out between Iran and the United States.

“The U.S. does not have the legal position, does not have the moral position, does not have the political position and does not have the international position to impose economic war on Iran.”
“There will be painful consequences for everybody. There is an escalation against Iran. That’s for sure. The U.S. is engaged in an economic warfare against Iran. It has to stop. Economic war means targeting the Iranian people. That has to stop. The U.S. does not have the legal position, does not have the moral position, does not have the political position and does not have the international position to impose economic war on Iran.”

Tension has been increasing in the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East region since the U.S. has made military threats against Iran and dispatched aircraft carrier to the regional waters and deployed Patriot missiles in certain regional countries.

NA/PA