Zarif Dismisses Obama’s Statement as Counter Propaganda against Netanyahu
(FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected US President Barack Obama's recent statements on Tehran's nuclear program as a counter-propaganda effort in his confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the Congress.
"Mr. Obama's remarks clearly show this reality that the US which has militarily threatened the Islamic Republic of Iran directly and indirectly and imposed numerous cruel and illegal sanctions (against Iran) has come to this conclusion that the policy of threat and sanctions is a failed policy and such measures have not and will not be able to counter the Iranian nation's firm will and determination to acquire the peaceful nuclear technology and make progress in using it," Zarif said on Tuesday in reaction to Obama's yesterday comments.
"It is clear that Mr. Obama's positions, manifested within through unacceptable and threatening words and phrases, have been adopted to attract the US public opinion and counter the propaganda launched by the Zionist regime prime minister and other radical opponents of the negotiations," he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Stressing that Iran has entered the talks sincerely and will continue negotiations until restoring the Iranian nation's nuclear rights, Zarif said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to the other side's excessive demands and illogical positions."
His remarks came after President Obama on Monday called for rolling back Iran's nuclear capabilities "for 10 years or longer". This is while Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C., preparing to deliver a speech to the Congress on Tuesday opposing a nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers.
In relevant comments earlier today, Zarif underlined the necessity for holding discussions with his US counterpart John Kerry to find ways for the rapid removal of sanctions against Tehran in their fresh round of talks underway in Montreux.
"This round of nuclear negotiations is a proper opportunity for the two ministers to discuss political issues, specially the method for the rapid removal of sanctions," Zarif told the state-run TV in Geneva on Tuesday.
Noting that Iran and the US technical teams present in the last round of nuclear talks could clarify or find solutions to part of the issues, he said, "This round will also be an opportunity to speak about the remaining technical issues."
Zarif expressed the hope that the two sides could take basic steps during the new round of talks in the Swiss town of Montreux, and said, "Negotiation is no doubt the only option for the world to settle Iran's nuclear issue, and there is no choice other than this."
Asked about Kerry's remarks that the US is testing the diplomatic way to prevent military action against Iran, he warned that such comments are not helpful to the settlement of the nuclear standoff.
Zarif and Kerry, who both addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, were heading later to Montreux for their talks, to be followed later this week by talks there between political directors from the six major powers (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) and Iran.
The Iranian and American teams of negotiators had several days of talks in Geneva late in February. Then after two days of negotiations, Zarif, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and President Rouhani's brother and senior aide Hossein Fereidoun as well as Kerry and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz joined their deputies in the talks.
After two days of intensive negotiations with his US counterpart, Zarif said that Tehran and Washington have had "serious, useful and constructive" talks in the last few days, but there is still a long way ahead before a final nuclear deal can be struck.