RFE
18 Jul 2019, 11:45 GMT+10
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States is engaging in 'economic terrorism' regarding the imposition of sanctions and that it 'shot itself in the foot' when it withdrew from the nuclear accord with Iran.
Speaking from the rostrum at the UN on July 17, Zarif said the unilateral sanctions that President Donald Trump put into force 'deliberately target innocent civilians to achieve illegitimate political objectives.'
Zarif furthermore told Bloomberg Television that the burden fell on Trump to ease tensions and pushed back on the possibility that the 2015 nuclear accord, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, would be renegotiated.
'You don't buy a horse twice,' he told Bloomberg.
After pulling out of the multinational accord in 2018, the United States imposed wide-ranging, restrictive measures and has sought to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero, moves that have devastated the Iranian economy.
The 2015 accord provided Iran with relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
U.S. allies France, Britain, and Germany -- all parties to the accord -- have attempted to bring Trump back into the deal and have devised a complicated financial barter plan to help alleviate Iran's economic woes.
However, Trump has sought to reduce Shi'ite Iran's regional influence in favor of Sunni-led allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Zarif also told reporters at the UN that U.S. travel restrictions on the Iranian diplomatic corps and their families in New York were 'basically inhuman.'
They may only travel between four destinations: the UN, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador's residence, and John F. Kennedy Airport.
Reuters quoted an unnamed State Department official who said the United States had acted 'in a manner that is fully consistent' under its 1947 agreement with the UN.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Bloomberg
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of Dublin News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Dublin News.
More InformationBERLIN/FRANKFURT: Some car parts factories in Europe have stopped production, and companies like Mercedes-Benz are making backup plans...
CHICAGO, Illinois: McDonald's is bringing back its much-loved Snack Wrap in the U.S. starting July 10. The wrap, which includes chicken,...
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tennessee: Dollar General reported record sales of US$10.44 billion for the latest quarter and raised its full-year...
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont: Beta Technologies has become the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the...
WASHINGTON, D.C. Forget bucket lists; this summer, it's all about budget lists. Amid economic uncertainty and a weaker dollar, Americans...
MENLO PARK, California: As artificial intelligence demands explode, Big Tech is turning to an old source for new power: nuclear energy....
OMAHA BEACH, France: Eighty-one years after the D-Day landings, a small group of World War II veterans has returned to the beaches...
THE HAGUE - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly condemned the United States for imposing sanctions on four of its judges,...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Spring 2025 was the warmest and sunniest spring in Ireland since records began, according to Met Éireann. It had the...
DUBLIN, Ireland: A tourist tore out and ate the page of his passport containing his biometric data after attacking an immigration officer...
BERLIN, Germany: Germany has taken its first significant fiscal step to jumpstart its slowing economy. This week, the cabinet approved...
WASHINGTON, D.C. Forget bucket lists; this summer, it's all about budget lists. Amid economic uncertainty and a weaker dollar, Americans...