TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that the United States’ sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran shows “desperation” and failure of “maximum pressure”.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has ordered sanctions on Iran’s central bank at “the highest level.”

In a tweet, Zarif said that the sanctions displays “the preventing of CBI from financing import of food and medicine for our people”.

He added that the sanctions also display “B_Team’s fear of U.S. return to negotiation and “B_Team’s efforts to drag into war”.

The “B-team” is a term thrown into popular usage by Zarif. It refers to a group of politicians who share an inclination toward potential war against Iran, and the letter “b” in their names. They include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and, former U.S. national security advisor John Bolton, who was fired on September 10.

Zarif had previously warned that the B-Team could goad Trump into a war with Tehran.

He said in a tweet in June that the “B-Team” scorns diplomacy but thirsts for war with Iran.

NA/PA