US Sanctions Amount to Military Conflict with Iran: Official
The Islamic Revolution Leader’s representative at the Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, has blasted US officials’ claims about seeking a dialogue not a conflict with Iran.
The official, who used to be in charge of Iran’s nuclear negotiations team, noted that the US should be aware that its sanctions are considered as an act of war in the Islamic Republic, who will respond to them.
“Someone in the US says we are after crippling sanctions, and officially announces his decision to impose ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. Aren’t they a war against the Iranian nation?” Jalili said.
Saeid Jalili, the Leader’s representative at the Supreme National Security Council and a former head of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team, made the remarks in a recent gathering in Tehran.
He insisted that Tehran’s goal is a constructive dialogue and warned that Iranians will not give in to the US demands.
“In defending their rights, interests, and values, the Iranian people do not adhere to the US demands. There is no limit to those demands, and the Iranian nation does not follow what the US wants”, the Iranian official said.
The United States in November announced re-imposition of the “toughest” sanctions ever against Iran in an attempt to curtail the country’s oil exports and put extra pressure on its economy.
However, a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), called “On Thin Ice,” cites the results of an internal assessment by US President Donald Trump’s administration and concludes the policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran has failed.
“A preliminary internal assessment by the administration described to Crisis Group purportedly concludes that the US approach has yet to curb Iran’s behavior or entice Tehran back to the negotiating table,” the ICG report says, citing an interview conducted by the group with a senior US administration official this month.
“If you look at the range of ultimate objectives different people [in the US administration] have in mind, from protests… to change of behavior, to the Iranians coming back to the negotiating table, none of that is happening,” Ali Vaez, director of the ICG’s Iran Project, told Al-Monitor .
The remarks by the official comes as Iran has repeatedly announced the US efforts will fail to “change Iran’s behavior”.
