TEHRAN – Iran’s High Council for Human Rights issued a statement on Sunday saying maximum use of youths’ capabilities is required to counter the United States’ “maximum pressure”.

“Adopting a strategy to counter sanctions and taking serious action to use all the unused capacities, especially scientific and practical capabilities of the youth, will result in empowering the country and creating new elements of power,” the statement said.

It is noted in the statement that the United States seeks to deceive Iran by proposing negotiations and force the Iranians to relinquish their rights through pressure and sanctions.

“So, trap of negotiations and baton of sanctions are two sides of the same coin of maximum pressure,” it added.

‘Iran supports protests against racism in U.S.’

It is also stated in the statement that Iran considers itself duty bound to back the oppressed people around the world and supports protests against racism in the United States.

“Iran’s High Council for Human Rights calls on all the freedom-seeking people in the world not to leave the people of the United States alone in fighting discrimination and racism.” “Within this framework, Iran’s High Council for Human Rights calls on all the freedom-seeking people in the world not to leave the people of the United States alone in fighting discrimination and racism,” the statement read.

Protests have started across the U.S. and some cities around the world over the brutal killing of an African-American man. 

George Floyd died on May 25 after being pinned down by a white officer despite yelling “I cannot breathe”.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the entire world to wage a war against racism.

“Some don’t think #BlackLivesMatter,” Zarif tweeted on May 30.

“To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism,” he wrote. “Time for a #WorldAgainstRacism.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on May 28 that the brutal killing was a harrowing demonstration of “systematic racism” exercised by the current rulers of the White House.

“Brutal killing of #GeorgeFloyd by Minneapolis’ white man in uniform in cold blood is a harrowing demonstration of systematic racism and white supremacism glorified by the current administration,” Mousavi tweeted.

NA/PA