Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks to the media following talks on June 27, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
May 16, 2019
As the Trump administration continues to level evidence-free accusations against Iran and dangerously escalate the risk of another catastrophic war in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Thursday that his country is acting with "maximum restraint" in the face of U.S. belligerence and denounced threats of force by White House officials.
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for."
--Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told reporters during a meeting with Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in Tokyo.
Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from [the] JCPOA last May," said Zarif, referring to the Iran nuclear accord.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged diplomacy and pressured European nations to uphold their end of the nuclear accord as the Trump administration refuses to return to the negotiating table.
"The path we have chosen today is not the path of war, it is the path of diplomacy," said Rouhani.
The Iranian president's comments came just days after Trump national security adviser John Bolton used the routine deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf to threaten Iran with military force.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Zarif said he predicted military "accidents" resulting from the Trump administration's continued escalation of tensions in the region, a concern that has been echoed by anti-war voices and foreign policy analysts in recent days.
"In interviews in April, I predicted 'accidents"--not because I'm a genius--but because B-Team is so brazenly following John Bolton's script," Zarif wrote.
\u201cIn interviews in April, I predicted \u201caccidents\u201d\u2014not because I'm a genius\u2014 but because #B_Team is so brazenly following @AmbJohnBolton's script (https://t.co/beCZByEaCT).\nAfter all, half of B-Team were co-conspirators in disastrous Iraq war.\nStark reminder https://t.co/ksCi9ntp85\u201d— Javad Zarif (@Javad Zarif) 1557843528
The "B-Team," as Zarif has termed it, consists of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"After all," Zarif tweeted, "half of [the] B-Team were co-conspirators in [the] disastrous Iraq war."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As the Trump administration continues to level evidence-free accusations against Iran and dangerously escalate the risk of another catastrophic war in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Thursday that his country is acting with "maximum restraint" in the face of U.S. belligerence and denounced threats of force by White House officials.
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for."
--Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told reporters during a meeting with Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in Tokyo.
Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from [the] JCPOA last May," said Zarif, referring to the Iran nuclear accord.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged diplomacy and pressured European nations to uphold their end of the nuclear accord as the Trump administration refuses to return to the negotiating table.
"The path we have chosen today is not the path of war, it is the path of diplomacy," said Rouhani.
The Iranian president's comments came just days after Trump national security adviser John Bolton used the routine deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf to threaten Iran with military force.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Zarif said he predicted military "accidents" resulting from the Trump administration's continued escalation of tensions in the region, a concern that has been echoed by anti-war voices and foreign policy analysts in recent days.
"In interviews in April, I predicted 'accidents"--not because I'm a genius--but because B-Team is so brazenly following John Bolton's script," Zarif wrote.
\u201cIn interviews in April, I predicted \u201caccidents\u201d\u2014not because I'm a genius\u2014 but because #B_Team is so brazenly following @AmbJohnBolton's script (https://t.co/beCZByEaCT).\nAfter all, half of B-Team were co-conspirators in disastrous Iraq war.\nStark reminder https://t.co/ksCi9ntp85\u201d— Javad Zarif (@Javad Zarif) 1557843528
The "B-Team," as Zarif has termed it, consists of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"After all," Zarif tweeted, "half of [the] B-Team were co-conspirators in [the] disastrous Iraq war."
As the Trump administration continues to level evidence-free accusations against Iran and dangerously escalate the risk of another catastrophic war in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Thursday that his country is acting with "maximum restraint" in the face of U.S. belligerence and denounced threats of force by White House officials.
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for."
--Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister
"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told reporters during a meeting with Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in Tokyo.
Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from [the] JCPOA last May," said Zarif, referring to the Iran nuclear accord.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged diplomacy and pressured European nations to uphold their end of the nuclear accord as the Trump administration refuses to return to the negotiating table.
"The path we have chosen today is not the path of war, it is the path of diplomacy," said Rouhani.
The Iranian president's comments came just days after Trump national security adviser John Bolton used the routine deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf to threaten Iran with military force.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Zarif said he predicted military "accidents" resulting from the Trump administration's continued escalation of tensions in the region, a concern that has been echoed by anti-war voices and foreign policy analysts in recent days.
"In interviews in April, I predicted 'accidents"--not because I'm a genius--but because B-Team is so brazenly following John Bolton's script," Zarif wrote.
\u201cIn interviews in April, I predicted \u201caccidents\u201d\u2014not because I'm a genius\u2014 but because #B_Team is so brazenly following @AmbJohnBolton's script (https://t.co/beCZByEaCT).\nAfter all, half of B-Team were co-conspirators in disastrous Iraq war.\nStark reminder https://t.co/ksCi9ntp85\u201d— Javad Zarif (@Javad Zarif) 1557843528
The "B-Team," as Zarif has termed it, consists of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"After all," Zarif tweeted, "half of [the] B-Team were co-conspirators in [the] disastrous Iraq war."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.