In a statement on Wednesday, Iranian Ambassador to Paris Bahram Qassemi lambasted the US administration for imposing sanctions on Zarif.
What makes the US decision even more catastrophic is that sanctioning a world renowned diplomat like Foreign Minister Zarif is nothing like the unfair and illegal economic, pharmaceutical or medical sanctions, but translates to an attempt to suppress the freedom of speech and diplomatic dialogue, Qassemi said.
The ambassador also noted that blacklisting the foreign minister of Iran reflects the “bullying, unilateral and despotic policies” of the US, which, sadly, is a self-proclaimed “cradle of freedom and democracy” and, more regrettably, hosts the UN Headquarters.
Qassemi also noted that Washington’s push to silence the great Iranian nation’s voice and the imposition of extraterritorial sanctions on the other states, even on its own allies, reveals the true face of the US and its hypocrisy.
People of the world would not tolerate such “childish and angry” behavior by the US, the Iranian ambassador stated, adding, “The modern US is no more an appropriate venue for the United Nations Headquarters.”
Last week, the US Department of State said Washington has designated Zarif for acting on behalf of Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The US president had issued an executive order on June 24, imposing sanctions on the Leader and his office and authorizing sanctions on others associated with Ayatollah Khamenei.
