FM Zarif rebukes US 'flip-flop' on Iran's power

In a post of his Twitter account on Friday, Zarif cited Trump's interview with Bloomberg News last August, during which he claimed that his policies may lead to the collapse of the Iranian government.

The top Iranian diplomat compared Trump’s remarks to the comments made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Thursday that the US-led military alliance should get united in the face of "great power" challenges from Iran, Russia and China.

Zarif also stressed that despite "contradictory" statements made by the US officials, Iran has always been a "responsible and peace seeking" nation. 

Under the Trump administration, the US has stepped up its pressure campaign against Iran.

Trump’s hostile approach intensified last year, when he unilaterally withdrew Washington from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran.

The US has since been trying to coerce the Europeans into following its lead in mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic.

Since the US left the JCPOA, the deal’s remaining powers -- China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK -- have struggled to provide the sanctions relief promised in the deal.

Despite all US belligerent measures, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense program, which Tehran says is merely based on deterrence.

The Islamic Republic has also contributed to regional security by providing military advisory assistance to Iraq and Syria in their counter-terrorism operations at the request of the two countries’ governments.