Supreme Leader’s Top Aide: All Options on Table to Counter US Sanctions

Velayati said that US President Donald Trump’s approach towards its domestic and foreign policies will ultimately weaken the United States both on the internal and international scenes.

Noting that Trump has waged a war with the whole world, Velayati said “Russia, Iran and North Korea are not the only direct targets of the Americans; rather the US expects the whole Europe to follow its lead, but the EU has adopted a stance against US policies and this will cause a gap in the West.”

He reiterated if the Americans think they can revive their illegal and lost influence in the region by taking such measures, they have to think again, as their influence in the region has been long deteriorating.

“They assume Iran would surrender under a little pressure, but they are wrong. Iran is definitely not like other regional countries that would surrender to US bribery under threats,” he stressed.

Velayati said that “we have a lot of options on the table to respond to US measures without violating the nuclear deal”.

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned that the country’s legislative body will vote for reciprocal approvals in response to the US violation of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers.

“The Americans have shown disloyalty in the past and present and, specially in the current era, they think that if they fight against the nuclear deal, it will benefit them while it will harm them,” Larijani told reporters in Tehran.

Stressing Iran’s high potentials in the nuclear field, he said that the country can change the conditions rapidly.

Larijani warned Washington in sarcastic remarks that Tehran could narrow down the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection of Iran’s nuclear installations if the Americans continue violating the deal.

“We monitor their behavior precisely and will take proper action. We adopt necessary decisions in related parliament commissions and will study them rapidly in open sessions,” he said.

In relevant remarks on Monday, Qassemi blasted certain US officials’ remarks against the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers, stressing that Iran has plans to reciprocate any violation of the internationally-accepted agreement.

“We don’t feel worried about any kind of behavior of the US and others and we have foreseen contingency plans for any possible scenarios,” Qassemi told reporters in Tehran, commenting on Iran’s possible reaction to the possible approval on Tuesday of a new sanctions law against the Islamic Republic by the US House of Representatives.

“We can implement our policies based on reciprocal action and continue our path,” he said, expressing the hope that the ruling system in the US would be wise enough to avoid creating new problems for the US people and themselves.

Asked if Iran would take part in talks with the new US administration over issues other than the nuclear deal, Qassemi said “the wall of mistrust between us is tall and solid” and an indicator of the two sides’ behavior.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, the US has showed in practice that it cannot be trusted and they have helped this wall of mistrust grow taller by rocking the boat and disloyalty to the nuclear deal,” he added.