Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ripped the United States on Monday, calling its foreign diplomacy a “sham”, after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed that Washington would impose unprecedented sanctions against Iran.
“U.S. diplomacy sham is merely a regression to old habits: imprisoned by delusions & failed policies—dictated by corrupt Special Interest—it repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-U.S. JCPOA solutions,” tweeted Zarif.
In a speech earlier on Monday, Pompeo called the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump withdrew two weeks ago, "bad for the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and indeed for the entire world."
"Iran continues to be - during the JCPOA - the world's largest sponsor of terror. It continues to be a sanctuary for Al-Qaeda, as it has done since 9/11," he said.
Pompeo warned that the new sanctions on Iran will be the "strongest sanctions in history."
"We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. The leaders in Tehran will have no doubt about our seriousness. Thanks to our colleagues at the Department of Treasury, sanctions are going back into effect and new ones are coming," he said.
"Iran will be forced to make a choice: either fight to keep its economy off life support at home, or keep squandering precious wealth in fights abroad. It will not have the resources to do both."
A senior Iran official later responded to Pompeo's speech, saying, "The conditions of the United States are meaningless. Iran has no need for anyone's permission to act in the Middle East. Our missile programs will be determined according to Iranian needs.”