In an interview with a Hong Kong-based television broadcaster Phoenix TV, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the United States cannot stop Iran from selling its oil, adding Washington would have to resort to policies that would drag the world into a chaotic state if it tried to actually shut down Iran’s oil exports.
According to IRNA, Zarif said in the interview which was aired on Friday on the Chinese TV channel, that Iran would never hold talks with the US in desperation. He said it was the US which walked away from the nuclear negotiations, not Iran, and so it is the US which needs to return to the negotiating table.
Zarif voiced doubt that reaching a nuclear deal with the US would be possible if negotiations were to be held now instead of in 2015. He added that even in case of an agreement, the deal would still be similar to the one reached between Iran and 5+1 three years ago.
About US’ decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Zarif said that Iran does not know yet what the Americans’ agenda is with this move, but “what matters to us is that the US policy in the region is dangerous and must be changed.”
About Canada’s arrest of Huawei’s CFO, Zarif said the arrest would have a negative impact on the world before it could actually affect Iran, because Canada has arrested someone that has done nothing illegal.
He said the arrest also raises questions about some trade rivalry going on behind the scene.
Zarif called on other countries to take a serious stance against US’ moves, not for the sake of Iran but for the future of their own and the international relations.
The Iranian diplomat then maintained that while Europe has promised Iran to be working on the finalization of a trade mechanism with Iran to bypass US sanctions, Tehran is not holding its breath until the EU delivers on its promises. Zarif stressed that Iran’s main trade partners are China, Russia and neighboring countries.
He further reassured China that Iran’s interest in the East Asian country is “strategic”, not tactical and temporary.
MS/IRN83150997
Your Comment