TEHRAN – Former Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia says Iran is a sovereign state that has the capacity to counter American sanctions pressure.

In an interview with IRNA published on Saturday, Ambassador Mohammad Khalid Khattak said the U.S. is in a habit of putting sanctions on this or that country.

After withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and re-imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran in May 2018, the U.S. had agreed to let eight countries, including China, Japan, India and South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece keep buying Iranian oil limitedly. However, later it decided not to renew waivers. The waivers ended on May 2.

“Look, Americans are playing with Iran because Iran is a sovereign country,” the former diplomat said, adding sanctions is a tactic to put pressure on Iran.

“Ending waivers against Iran is big news, but for me it is not a breaking news; it is usual as the U.S. is in a habit of putting sanctions on this and that country.” 

He went on to say that politics is an alignment of interests, convergence of interests and divergence of interests. 

Calling the U.S. move “immoral”, he said the basic reason that the U.S. is pursuing a very aggressive policy towards Iran is because of the Zionist regime’s influence on American politics. 

MH/PA