Sanctions on Zarif show US afraid of Iran’s top diplomat: Rouhani

Having failed to achieve their goals through the toughest of sanctions and pressure tactics, “the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation and government have now resorted to childish measures,” Rouhani said Thursday during a speech in Iran’s northwestern East Azerbaijan Province.
 
The US Treasury Department said Wednesday that it was imposing sanctions on Zarif — which it described as Iran’s “primary spokesperson around the world” — for acting on behalf of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
 
Rouhani further said, “The enemy claims every day that it wants dialog with Iran and has no pre-condition for negotiations with the Iranian government. It, however, sanctions our foreign minister,” he said.
 
Such hostile measures “mean that they have become so desperate that they can no longer think wisely. It is crystal clear that the path to negotiations goes through the Foreign Ministry and the head of that ministry is the foreign minister.”
 
The Iranian chief executive also stressed that the US government sees itself as a “world power, but is afraid of our foreign minister’s interviews.”
 
“Their childish move shows clearly that all the foundations of the White House have been shaken by the words and logic of a knowledgeable person, who is an informed diplomat,” he said. “Their place of power has been rattled by the logic of a powerful Iranian expert, while they claim to be advocating freedom of expression and democracy.”
 
Earlier, Zarif mocked the sanctions and said the US’s “reason for designating me is that I am Iran’s ‘primary spokesperson around the world’. Is the truth really that painful?”
 
He also reiterated that the sanctions “has no effect” on him or his family, as they “have no property or interests outside of Iran.”