TEHRAN – Presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi has said that publicly threatening countries that oppose U.S. policies is a dangerous precedent in the UN Security Council.

“Publicly threatening with sanctions the countries that oppose the U.S. or do not accompany its policies is a dangerous precedent in the international system and the UN Security Council,” Vaezi said on Monday, according to IRNA.

He made the remarks in reference to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who warned Russia and China not to disregard the U.S. reimposition of all United Nations sanctions on Iran.

Two weeks ago, Pompeo was asked by Fox News if the U.S. would target Russia and China with sanctions if they refuse to reimpose the UN sanctions on Iran, to which he responded: “Absolutely.”

“We have already done that, where we have seen any country violate ... the current American sanctions, we’ve held every nation accountable for that. We’ll do the same thing with respect to the broader UN Security Council sanctions as well,” he said.

Vaezi said the U.S. government is influenced by the extremist approach of the Zionist regime and makes decisions which are “completely illegal and illogical”.

“The U.S. government, in an illogical act, officially exited Barjam (nuclear deal) and it’s clear that it cannot use the mechanisms within the agreement anymore,” he added.

According to Vaezi, the U.S. officials have realized what a terrible mistake they made by withdrawing from the nuclear agreement.

“They are now resorting to desperate and empty moves which are void of any legal standing,” he remarked.

The official said the U.S., which claims to be the world’s leader, has become isolated due to Iran’s strong and rightful behavior.

He further said the U.S. will not succeed in its anti-Iran bid, because it is not a party to the nuclear deal and all members of the international community oppose its move.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has said Pompeo is "living in an imaginary parallel world".

Pompeo said on August 27 that the United States would make sure the UN international sanctions against Iran return on September 20.

Firing back, Khatibzadeh maintained, "The hands of the clock only move in the imaginary parallel world of Pompeo."

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also said dismissed threats of the United States for imposing sanctions against any country that stands against their snapback measures.

"After thrice being rejected by SC, US now threatens sanctioning anyone and any entity that comes between US and its snapback," Zarif tweeted.

"Obviously they don't understand law or UN. Maybe they can grasp this: You divorced the JCPOA in 2018. Your name on the marriage certificate is irrelevant," Zarif added.

In mid-August, Pompeo announced that he triggered a 30-day process to reimpose all international sanctions on Iran by lodging a complaint with the council accusing Iran of breaching the 2015 nuclear deal.

It came after the Security Council resoundingly rejected a U.S. bid on August 14 to extend an arms embargo on Iran which will otherwise expire in October. Only the Dominican Republic joined Washington in voting yes.

Last week, Indonesia’s Ambassador to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani, council president for August, announced that it was “not in the position to take further action” on a U.S. bid to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran because there is no consensus in the 15-member body.

MH/PA