TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is following Donald Trump’s policy by capitalizing on the illegal sanctions as a “leverage” against Iran.

“Your admin follows Trump's footsteps while trying to use his unlawful sanctions as ‘leverage’,” Zarif tweeted by making a reference to Biden’s tweets on June 20, 2019 in which he said, "It's sadly ironic that the State Department is now calling on Iran to abide by the very deal the Trump administration abandoned."

At the time, Biden also wrote, “By walking away from diplomacy, Trump has made military conflict more likely. Another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need.”

Zarif advised Biden to quit this approach, saying, “Nasty habits die hard. Time to kick this one.”

Also, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei warned the West on Tuesday that more delays in removing sanctions against Iran will make the chances for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, which he described as the only way to resolve differences, more elusive.

However, he added the U.S. administration has no “logical alternative” other than returning to the JCPOA and lifting all sanctions.

PA/PA