TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that independence in the foreign policy does not mean separation from world.

“Independence means not to rely on others to survive. Independence in the foreign policy does not mean separation from the world,” he said during a speech at conference on multilateralism in Iran’s foreign policy.

Independence means to rely on domestic capacities in order to survive and be safe, he added.

He also said, “Our independence did not require (us) to clash with anyone in the [UN] Security Council. It was to assert that we are able to stand on our feet despite the U.S. pressure.”

Referring to remarks made by Lindsey Graham, a Republican U.S. senator, Zarif said that independence means that no one be able to make such remarks about Iran.

In remarks made to Fox News in December 2018, Senator Graham said, “Let me put it this way — I want to be very blunt with you: If it weren’t for the United States, they’d be speaking Farsi in about a week in Saudi Arabia.”

Elsewhere, Zarif said, “When we say that we are proud of the people’s resistance, we do not mean that it is their duty to resist. It is our duty to praise this resistance and reduce the pressure on the people.”

“If the people are supposed to resist and solve all the problems, then what is our duty? ... As we cannot blame the hegemonic system’s plots for our own inefficiency, we cannot hide behind the people’s resistance. We are duty bound to reduce the pressure on the people and this is what we are trying to do,” he added.

Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the international 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 and rolled back sanctions against Iran.

Since the sanction were illegally snapped backs the value of national currency has fallen and prices have gone up. However, people hope that sanctions help improve better management system and there will be more focus on scientific approaches to reduce the effects of sanctions. 

NA/PA