US Has New Strategy Against Iran, Defense Minister Says
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said recent US moves regarding the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers indicates that Washington has devised a new strategy against Iran and seeks to put the country in a “complex” situation.
“The recent US behavior (towards the JCPOA) shows that the enemies of the Islamic Republic are seeking to leave Iran in special and complex circumstances,” General Hatami said on Tuesday.
The US has formulated a new strategy to counter Iran, he added, saying that it shows the depth of Washington’s animosity towards Iran and the Islamic Establishment.
The Iranian defense minister stressed that the Iranian nation, armed forces and officials would remain fully vigilant in the face of the enemies’ plots.
On Friday, Donald Trump again waived sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the landmark nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Today, I am waiving the application of certain nuclear sanctions, but only in order to secure our European allies’ agreement to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal,” he said in a statement.
He further claimed, “This is a last chance. In the absence of such an agreement, the United States will not again waive sanctions in order to stay in the Iran nuclear deal. And if at any time I judge that such an agreement is not within reach, I will withdraw from the deal immediately. No one should doubt my word.”
In reply, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif took to Twitter on Friday to condemn Trump’s reluctant announcement on the nuclear sanctions waiver, saying, “Trump’s policy & today’s announcement amount to desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement, maliciously violating its paras 26, 28 & 29.”
He further stressed that the deal is “not renegotiable” and urged Trump to, instead of repeating tired rhetoric, bring the US into full compliance of the deal, just like Iran.
