Zarif Urges World Nations to Defy U.S. Sanctions on Iran

Date: 17 March 2020 - 22:24

News ID: ۷۷۲۳۱

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called on world countries to join a global campaign to disregard the U.S. sanctions against Iran.
In a post on his Twitter account, Zarif said the unlawful U.S. sanctions have drained Iran’s economic resources and impaired its ability to fight COVID-19.
"They (U.S. sanctions) literally kill innocents,” he added.
"It is immoral to observe them: doing so has never saved anyone from future U.S. wrath,” the Iranian foreign minister stated.
He asked other countries to "join the growing global campaign to disregard US sanctions on Iran.”
Zarif also called on Britain not to follow the cruel and illegal sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the people of Iran.
Zarif and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the UK Dominic Raab held a telephone conversation on Monday evening.
The two top diplomats discussed a range of issues, including the latest developments surrounding the outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran and the world, the unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S., the JCPOA, consular affairs between Tehran and London, and regional developments.
Zarif commended the European Union and the three EU members of the JCPOA –the UK, France and Germany- for sending aid to Iran for the fight against coronavirus, slammed the U.S.’ illegal and unilateral sanctions as an obstacle to the battle with the global pandemic, and called on the UK to defy the U.S.’ cruel sanctions against the Iranian nation under such circumstance, both on the basis of its (Britain’s) JCPOA commitments and the human considerations.
Meanwhile, in a press conference, Iranian Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Esmaeili slammed European countries for their compliance with the U.S. sanctions on Iran’s medicine sector as the country is fighting the coronavirus outbreak.
"The U.S.-led global arrogance and hegemonic system is hostile not only to our ruling system but also to our people and our citizens,” Esmaeili said.
The cruel and unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Iran, including those hampering the country’s medicine imports are a clear example of criminal moves by the U.S.-led global arrogance, he added.
He emphasized that while the U.S. is not expected to lift the sanctions because of its endless enmity, there is expectation from European countries that claim to be independent.