Iran rests assured of no war with US: Zarif

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that his country rests assured that there will be no war Tehran and Washington, but meantime, warned of warmongering individuals in Donald Trump's administration.

"We rest assured, as stated by Supreme Leader of (the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei), that there will be no war because neither do we want war nor does anyone have the imagination or illusion of the ability to confront Iran in the region but it is necessary to clarify the dangerous moves inside the US to the American people," Zarif told reporters before leaving Beijing for Tehran on Saturday.

He referred to Trump's recent remarks that he does not war with Iran, and said some people close to the US president are pushing him towards war under the pretext of making the US more powerful against Iran.

Zarif said that the B-Team (including John Bolton, Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) he spoke about during his recent visit to New York is a reality and all American people were aware of it but no one dared to raise the issue given the psychological atmosphere ruling the US.

He warned that the policy of 'America First' is turning into the policy of 'Israel First' or 'Certain Reactionary Regional Rulers First', adding that they have imposed their interests on the US administration through their financial power and propaganda.

Ayatollah Khamenei had told a gathering of senior Iranian officials on Tuesday that he saw no possibility of war between Tehran and Washington, adding that the recent US military buildup in the region only aimed at frightening Iran to yield to the White House demands, but Iran stood strong.

Addressing the heads of the country’s executive, judiciary, and legislative branches as well as other senior officials, parliamentarians, and important figures in the country’s political, social, and cultural spheres, Ayatollah Khamenei ruled out the possibility of war between the United States and Iran despite heightened tensions between the two sides, saying Washington knows engaging in such a conflict would not be in its interest.

The Leader further said any confrontation between the US and Iran would not be “a military one,” and that “there was not going to be any war”.

“The Iranian nation’s definite option will be resistance in the face of the US, and in this confrontation, the US would be forced into a retreat,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “Neither we nor they, who know war will not be in their interest, are after war.”

Ayatollah Khamenei further explained that the confrontation between the two sides is “a clash of wills,” asserting that Iran would be the ultimate victor of this battle.

The Leader ruled out any negotiation with the US as long as Washington sticks with its hostile approach against the Islamic Republic, saying Washington would be attempting to undermine Iran’s “points of strength,” such as its defensive power or its strategic regional influence, in any such interaction.

As an example, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “They (Americans) say we should negotiate over your (Iran’s) defensive weapons, (questioning) why do you build (for instance) a missile with a given range. Reduce the range (of your missiles, they say,) so you would not be able to hit our bases.”

The Leader further played down Washington’s highly belligerent rhetoric against Iran, saying its real capability did not match its loud bluster, and that it “needs to engage in (such bluster).”

Ayatollah Khamenei said Washington gives priority to Israel’s interests over the benefits of all others, adding, “The control of many affairs rests in the hands of the Zionist society.”

The Leader pointed to the absence of integrity in the US administration, noting how various American officials contradict each other on a daily basis. The American society, he added, is also afflicted with rampant socioeconomic problems and violence.

Ayatollah Khamenei, meanwhile, also highlighted how Washington’s policies regarding Europe and Asia had backfired.

“In (its) policy of confrontation with the Islamic Republic too, the US will definitely suffer defeat, and (the situation) will end up to our benefit,” the Leader said, citing warnings by American analysts that Washington’s pressure on Tehran would, contrary to its intended purpose, trigger an “economic mutation”.

.....................................................
End/ 257