Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, was one of the architects of the Joint Plan of Action agreement on Iran’s nuclear program which was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva in 2015, on Sunday urged President-elect Joe Biden to try a different policy toward Iran.
The Zarif statement was made while the Trump Administration was in negotiations with Israel and several Arab nations to impose tough new sanctions on Iran before January 20, Biden’s Inauguration Day (Trump Administration to Impose New Iran Sanctions ‘Weekly’ by Jan. 20).
The American people have spoken.
And the world is watching whether the new leaders will abandon disastrous lawless bullying of outgoing regime—and accept multilateralism, cooperation & respect for law.
Deeds matter most
Iran’s record: dignity, interest & responsible diplomacy.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif)
Foreign Minister Javad tweeted Sunday: “The American people have spoken. And the world is watching whether the new leaders will abandon disastrous lawless bullying of outgoing regime—and accept multilateralism, cooperation & respect for law. Deeds matter most. Iran’s record: dignity, interest & responsible diplomacy.”
It’s been a while, right?
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei on Saturday called on Biden to try a different policy toward Iran. The Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, and the next man in the White House should adopt a different approach from Trump’s “who tried to associate his war on the JCPOA with Iranians’ livelihoods, health, and welfare.”
In September, Biden said that “Trump’s Iran policy is a dangerous failure. At the United Nations, Trump could not rally a single one of America’s closest allies to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran. Next, Trump tried to unilaterally reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, only to have virtually all the UN security council members unite to reject his gambit. Now there are reports that Iran has stockpiled 10 times as much enriched uranium as it had when President Barack Obama and I left office.”
Biden noted: “I have no illusions about the challenges the regime in Iran poses to America’s security interests, to our friends and partners and to its own people. But there is a smart way to be tough on Iran, and there is Trump’s way.”
Regarding the assassination of Iran’s chief terrorist Qassem Soleimani last January, Joe Biden said “President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox,” and explained that “the Administration’s statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action will almost certainly have the opposite effect.”
Biden suggested Trump “owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.”
All of which suggests that under a Biden administration, someone of Qassem Soleimani’s stature would probably feel safe to travel unmolested to spread death and destruction around the region.
A sincere message to our neighbors:
Trump’s gone in 70 days
But we’ll remain here forever
Betting on outsiders to provide security is never a good gamble
We extend our hand to our neighbors for dialog to resolve differences
Only together can we build a better future for all.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif)
FM Zarif also tweeted an unmistakable warning to Iran’s neighbors, the Gulf states, who have been cozying up to Israel and the US: A sincere message to our neighbors: “Trump’s gone in 70 days but we’ll remain here forever. Betting on outsiders to provide security is never a good gamble. We extend our hand to our neighbors for dialog to resolve differences. Only together can we build a better future for all.”
Say what you will about Mohammad Zarif, the man knows how to let you know he plans to kill you and make it sound like a romantic ballad.