US Behavior Weakened Dollar in International Financial System: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said several countries have started to decrease using dollar in their bilateral trades because of US unilateral sanctions.

US behavior has weakened dollar in international financial system, Zarif said, while addressing the meeting held at UN on multilateralism and Iran nuclear deal, IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

He pointed to pressures imposed on Iran since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, saying: “We tolerated them but we will never bear threats and will give negative response to it.”

Pressures have never stopped, Zarif said rejecting claims that pressures forced Iran to start negotiation.

“We have previously had a 150-page document,” he said, adding that “maybe US president does not like it but achieving a two-page document is quite easy.”

“I know every word of this document and I know what the United States wants, what we want and what Europeans are looking for. So why should we restart everything?” Zarif wondered.

The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to the G-7 summit, saying after a period of intensive negotiations, Trump rejected the statement before leaving for the airport.

“Why should we abandon an international agreement, which has been guaranteed by the UN Security Council for a single photo and a few hours talks?,” he noted.

US now pushes countries one after the other and forces them to use their own currencies in bilateral trade, Zarif said, adding that this trend is increasing.

“Since 1982, I have never seen one of the permanent members of UNSC urging others to breach a resolution,” Zarif said in commenting on US act to threaten other countries to be punished if they implement UNSC resolution 2231.