TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army have denounced the new U.S. sanctions on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as a “ridiculous” move which showed Washington’s “humiliating defeat” against the Islamic Republic.

On Wednesday, the U.S. departments of state and treasury announced the imposition of sanctions against Zarif because he “acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

On Thursday, the IRGC announced its condemnation of the “illegal” measure, saying the move was in line with the United States’ policy of mounting maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic, Mehr reported.

It said the U.S. move was ineffective and foreseeable, and demonstrated the American rulers’ anger at the Islamic Revolution’s inspiring and anti-hegemonic message for the world.  

The statement said the U.S. was furious with the way the top Iranian diplomat exposed their “wicked nature”.

Back in April, the IRGC itself was blacklisted by the U.S. as a “foreign terrorist organization”. In retaliation, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council named the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) a terrorist organization.

Also on June 24, U.S. President Donald Trump announced new sanctions against Iran, targeting office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top commanders of the IRGC.

Army slams U.S.’ empty rhetoric on freedom of speech

In a separate statement on Thursday, the Iranian Army said sanctioning Zarif lay bare the humiliating defeat which was inflicted on the U.S. by Iran.

“This baseless, empty move revealed the American rulers’ shaky intellectual and political foundations, especially the president of that country,” the statement read.

“Sanctioning our country’s foreign minister showed that freedom of speech is nothing but an empty rhetoric and that the White House officials are worried about the strong logic of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it added.

Zarif: Thank you for considering me such a huge threat 

Zarif responded to the U.S. move as well.

“The US’ reason for designating me is that I am Iran’s ‘primary spokesperson around the world’. Is the truth really that painful? It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

“Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda,” he added.

In another tweet, the top Iranian diplomat said, “We know that calling for dialog & peace is an existential threat to #B_Team. And since reason for designating me is my words, would ‘US persons’ need OFAC license to ‘engage’ with me by reading my writings or listening to interviews?”

U.S. once again ‘ridiculed’ itself, Velayati says

The sanctions were also widely condemned by Iranian officials and top figures.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top foreign policy adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said the U.S. has once again “ridiculed” itself before all countries, in particular its Western allies.

“The U.S. does not even have the power to confront the Islamic Republic’s precise statements and logic,” said Velayati who was Iran’s foreign minister from 1981 to 1997.

The U.S. is being incrementally isolated in the world and imposing sanctions on Foreign Minister Zarif is another sign of its helplessness and despair in the face of Iran’s clear logic, he added.

Advisor: Trump team has got severe ‘political vertigo’

Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Iranian parliament speaker, said sanctioning Zarif demonstrated the Trump administration’s political vertigo.

“FM Zarif sanction is clear reason behind the U.S. decision-makers’ illogical and uncivilized behavior,” Amir Abdollah tweeted. 

He added, “Donald Trump is capable neither for waging war nor compelling Iran to negotiate under threat. The Trump team has got severe ‘political vertigo’. No doubt it will end up downfall.”

Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated ever since the U.S. administration of Donald Trump adopted a distinctly hostile approach toward Iran, which included pulling out of the historic Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions on Tehran. 

The tensions further soared on June 20, when the Iranian military shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone after it breached Iran’s airspace. The U.S. drone entered the Iranian airspace from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In comments made a few hours after the incident, IRGC Chief Major General Hossein Salami said the shooting down of the U.S. drone had a straightforward message that any foreign intrusion into Iranian territories would draw a crushing response.

MH/PA