ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday criticized Washington’s reasoning to exert pressure against Tehran as “baseless” and part of a broader effort to undermine the Islamic republic’s ties with other countries.
“The claims and accusations made by American officials to exert pressure on Iran are baseless and of no credibility, and neighboring and friendly countries are expected to be wary of the US's sedition and division - which has no intention other than to destroy friendly relations between countries in the region in line with the sinister goals of the Zionist regime,” Abbas Araghchi told his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in a phone call, as reported by the state IRNA news agency.
After returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump in early February restored his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon. He also expressed openness to negotiate a new deal with Tehran, though Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei deemed negotiations “unwise.”
Earlier in March a most recent 120-day waiver, issued by former US President Joe Biden to allow Iraq to import Iranian gas without running afoul of sanctions, expired. Biden’s successor, Trump, announced in early February that he would not renew the waiver as part of his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.
Araghchi warned of the serious risks posed by US misuse of regional bases and airspace for aggressive actions, urging countries to safeguard their sovereignty and prevent foreign forces from destabilizing the region.
On Wednesday the United States claimed that its recent attacks against the Houthis in Yemen are continuing to yield results, adding that Tehran has certainly taken notice as well. Trump renewed his call on Tehran to end its support for the Yemeni group.
Iran is a staunch supporter of Houthis.
On March 7, Trump told Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations while warning that military action against Iran would have devastating consequences. “If we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them [Iran],” he stated.
Iraq’s foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed that Hussein was briefed on Trump’s message to Iran. It added that Tehran “will respond to the message.”
In mid-March, Khamenei dismissed Trump’s letter as deceptive, arguing that the US president’s excessive demands would only “tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure” on Tehran.
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