Shortly after the United States placed sanctions on FM Zarif, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini through a phone conversation expressed his fully support for Zarif and the way he had handled the Iran’s foreign policy.
“Despite baseless accusations by the United States, You are the main handler of the Iranian foreign policy and moved it in a best possible manner in recent years,” he said.
Seyyed Hassan Khoemini went onto stress that Zarif’s popularity among people indicates that the top Iranian diplomat performed his job in a professional and great way.
Earlier, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani denounced the United States for imposing sanctions on Foreign Zarif, saying the “childish” move stems from Washington’s “fear” of the top Iranian diplomat’s logic and interviews.
Having failed to achieve their goals through the toughest of sanctions and pressure tactics, “the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation and government have now resorted to childish measures,” Rouhani said Thursday during a speech in Iran’s northwestern East Azerbaijan Province.
Rouhani further said, “The enemy claims every day that it wants dialog with Iran and has no pre-condition for negotiations with the Iranian government. It, however, sanctions our foreign minister,” he said.
The US Treasury Department said Wednesday that it was imposing sanctions on Zarif — which it described as Iran’s “primary spokesperson around the world” — for acting on behalf of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Earlier, Zarif mocked the sanctions and said the US’s “reason for designating me is that I am Iran’s ‘primary spokesperson around the world’. Is the truth really that painful?”
Javad Zarif
✔@JZarif
The US' reason for designating me is that I am Iran's "primary spokesperson around the world"
Is the truth really that painful?
It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran.
Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda.
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1:03 AM - Aug 1, 2019
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He also reiterated that the sanctions “has no effect” on him or his family, as they “have no property or interests outside of Iran.”
The US president unilaterally withdrew from the multilateral deal with Iran in May 2018 and has since been following what he calls a campaign of “maximum pressure” on the country. In speeches at the UN General Assembly, where he has requested to meet with the Iranian president, he has used offensive language to talk about the Iranian government.
Commenting on the US targeting of Zarif with sanctions, Paul, the US senator, tweeted, “If you sanction diplomats you’ll have less diplomacy.”