Iran FM: Trump and Allies Isolating Themselves Over Iran Hostility

Rouhani rejects US sanctions as 'psychological warfare'

Speaking on state TV, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned that President Trump, along with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamain Netanyahu are isolating themselves with their push for hostility toward Iran.

Iranian FM Mohammed Javad Zarif

“The world has distanced itself from their hostile policies,” Zarif said, adding that they “have become the symbol of mistrust in the world.” President Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year, and began reimposing sanctions on Iran Monday.

Iranian officials in general are downplaying the impact of those sanctions, with President Rouhani labeling them “psychological warfare,” and saying that their goal is to cause chaos across the region. Iran took a series of measures to try to limit the effect of US sanctions on their economy over the weekend.

A lot of the practical effects of the sanctions are yet to be seen, as they depend heavily on which nations go along with US demands. The US wasn’t trading with Iran in the first place, so Iran isn’t actually losing anything on that front.

The other P5+1 parties seem set to keep trading with Iran. Most important of these is China, the largest customer for Iranian oil. So long as that trade continues, the US will likely face an uphill battle in convincing smaller nations that they can’t follow China’s lead.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.