US, Saudi and Israel ‘isolated’ in hatred of Iran, says foreign minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the leaders of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel were isolated in their hostility to Iran.

“Today, the entire world has declared they are not in line with US policies against Iran,” Zarif said in a speech, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

“Talk to anyone, anywhere in the world and they will tell you that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, (US President Donald) Trump and (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed) bin Salman are isolated, not Iran,” he said.

Zarif suggested it was hard to imagine negotiating with Trump after he had torn up the 2015 nuclear deal, on which Iran and world powers had spent the “longest hours in negotiating history”.

READ MORE: Iran nuclear deal has been a bird in the hand

“Do you think this person (Trump) is a good and suitable person to negotiate with? Or is he just showing off?” Zarif said.

Iran’s leaders have been highly sceptical of Trump’s offer to talk “any time” without preconditions.

With US sanctions set to return against Iran on Tuesday, Zarif acknowledged there were difficult times ahead.

“Of course, American bullying and political pressures may cause some disruption, but the fact is that in the current world, America is isolated.”

Saudi Arabia and Israel, Iran’s key regional rivals, are among the only countries to strongly support the reimposition of US sanctions.

The other parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement – Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia – say Iran was abiding by its commitments and have vowed to salvage the deal by ensuring economic benefits continue to flow to the country.

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