Zarif: No Policy Shift Under US Pressure

EghtesadOnline: Iran’s top diplomat emphasized that the United States’ “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran will not prompt the country to change its policies.

News ID: ۷۴۶۳۴۰

16 December 2018

“It is obvious that we are facing pressure by the US sanctions. But will that lead to a change in policy? I can assure you it won’t,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday during the Doha Forum 2018 in the Qatari capital, according to the official Twitter page of the high-profile conference.

US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran to force the country to totally abandon its nuclear activities, halt its ballistic missile development program and change its regional policies.

However, Tehran has made it clear that it will not be compelled to engage in any renegotiation of the landmark deal and that its defense programs are indispensible and non-negotiable, Financial Tribune reported.

Zarif also brushed off the impact of US penalties on the Iranian economy and highlighted the country’s long experience of handling draconian sanctions.

“If there is an art we have perfected in Iran and can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions,” he said.

Referring to the ongoing international peace efforts to end the devastating Yemen crisis, Zarif said, “We are prepared to use all our influence and power to bring peace and stability in Yemen.”