TEHRAN – Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami predicted on Sunday that Iran’s resistance will force the foes to change their “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran to “maximum groveling”.

Hatami was making a reference to Washington’s maximum pressure policy against Tehran, which was introduced after Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year. The U.S. has also asked Iran to enter bilateral talks, but Iran has refused.

“In a year which the enemy wanted to turn into a year filled with pressure for us, we’ve had many achievements,” Hatami said, speaking in a meeting arranged to commemorate veterans of resistance, IRNA reported.

“The Sacred Defense (Iran’s resistance against the invading Saddam Hussein’s army in the 1980s) taught us that the only way is to resist and rely on ourselves,” said the defense chief.

Hatami added officials in the U.S. would deprive Iranians of oxygen, water and air, if they were able to.

Last week, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that “maximum pressure” from the United States has produced “maximum resistance” from Iran, and that Tehran will continue to resist.

Speaking at the Iranian mission to the UN in New York, Araqchi rejected the prospects of negotiations until the U.S. stops its campaign of maximum pressure on Tehran, The Independent reported.

He said “to get real negotiations started, this economic war has to end,” referring to U.S. sanctions that Iran also describes as “economic terrorism”.

“And to end this economic war, we first need a ceasefire in order to do real negotiations and find sustainable solutions,” Araqchi said.

“Not only us, but no country will negotiate under pressure,” he added.

In remarks earlier this month, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the failed policy of maximum pressure on Iran has turned into “maximum deceit”.

“Having failed at ‘maximum pressure’, Secretary Pompeo is turning to ‘maximum deceit’,” Zarif tweeted.

Zarif’s comments came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for the attacks on oil installations in Saudi Arabia on September 14, for which Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility and Iran rejected any involvement.

MH/PA