Tue Oct 1, 2013 11:16AM GMT
Zarif
made the comments in response to the latest remarks by the US president
during his meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
Washington on Monday."
Iran
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the US that its
“flip-flop and contradictory” stances will destroy mutual confidence,
urging Washington to show consistency in dealing with Iran to promote
trust.
“[US] President [Barack] Obama should avert contradiction
in order to win the confidence of the Iranian people. Flip-flop and
contradictory positions will destroy trust and discredit the United
States,” Zarif said on Tuesday.
“President Obama’s
presumption that Iran has entered negotiations due to his threats and
illegal sanctions is an insult to a nation, [and is] bullying and
wrong,” the Iranian minister pointed out.
Zarif made
the comments in response to the latest remarks by the US president
during his meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
Washington on Monday.
Obama once again repeated Washington’s
warmongering rhetoric against Tehran over Iran's nuclear energy program,
saying the US will take no options off the table with regard to Iran.
"We take no options off the table, including military option," he said.
He also added that Iranians are now prepared to negotiate because of the sanctions.
Zarif
criticized the US president for making such remarks which were
“completely unacceptable but were not unpredictable,” adding, “We will
not allow Netanyahu to determine the future of our negotiations.”
He
emphasized that Iran would give the “strongest response” to such
remarks, saying, “It is important to know that a difficult path has
begun. This path is a diplomatic battle and not a friendly and cordial
relation.”
The meeting between Obama and Netanyahu came only days
after Iran President Hassan Rouhani and his US counterpart had a
landmark phone conversation on September 27 mainly focusing on Iran’s
nuclear energy program.
It was the first direct communication
between an Iranian and a US president since the victory of Iran’s
Islamic Revolution more than three decades ago.
The two presidents
stressed Tehran and Washington’s political will to swiftly resolve the
dispute over Iran’s nuclear energy program which the United States,
Israel and some of their allies claim to include a military component.
Iran
has categorically rejected the allegation, stressing that as a
committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a
signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is entitled to develop
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
SF/KA/SS
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Iran Unhappy with Obama's Words to Netanyahu
Tehran's Foreign Ministry quotes mention of “military option,” demands "respect."
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By Gil Ronen
First Publish: 10/1/2013, 1:27 PM
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani
Reuters
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry expressed displeasure Tuesday with the statement by US
President Barack Obama to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, according
to which the “military option” still existed regarding Iran.
“We
expect the US government to deal with Iran based on a realistic policy
and talk to the great Iranian nation with [a language of] respect,”
Ministry Spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham during her weekly press
conference in the Iranian capital.
She made the remark in response to a
question about President Obama’s latest comment repeating the threat of military force against Iran.
A report on official
PressTV explained that she was referring to
a statement by Obama in his Monday meeting
with Netanyahu in Washington, that the US would not take any options,
“including [the] military option,” off the table, in its dealings with
Iran.
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Netanyahu issues stern warning on Iran 'ruse'
Oren Dorell, USA TODAY 4:43 p.m. EDT October 1, 2013
Iran says that Obama's recent statements have harmed prospects for peace.
(Photo: Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images)
Story Highlights
- Iran's foreign minister calls Netanyahu warnings 'lies'
- Israeli prime minister wants Iran's military nuclear program dismantled
- President Obama says all options remain if negotiations fail
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned United Nations delegates
Tuesday that to avoid a military conflict they must stand firm in
putting pressure on Iran to open up its nuclear program to inspection.
"Iran
wants to be in position to rush forward and build nuclear bombs before
the world can prevent it," Netanyahu said, warning that recent gestures
from Iran toward peace are a "ruse" to lull the West into backing off.
He
said the "one big problem" that stands in in the way of Iran's aims are
the economic sanctions that the West has imposed to get Iran to prove
its claim the its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. He warned
that the sanctions must remain and be toughened if Iran is to be
stopped.
"A nuclear armed Iran would have a choke-hold on the
world's main energy supplies, it would trigger nuclear proliferation
throughout the Middle East," he said. "It would make the specter of
nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger."
To prevent war, the
world community should not agree to "a partial deal" that lifts
sanctions that took years to implement in return for cosmetic changes
that Iran could reverse in weeks, Netanyahu said.
"Lift the
sanctions only when Iran fully dismantles its nuclear weapons program,"
he said. "The international community has Iran on the ropes. If you want
to knock out Iran's nuclear weapons program peacefully, don't let up
the pressure."
And if talks fail, Netanyahu left little doubt that Israel will take matters into its own hands.
"Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons," he said. "If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone."
His
speech comes after Iranian President Hasan Rouhani brought a new
message of friendliness during a four-day trip to the United Nations in
New York last week, a trip that ended with a 15-minute phone call with
Obama. It was the first phone call between two leaders from the U.S. and
Iran in three decades.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and
other world powers will participate in talks with Iran over curtailing
its nuclear program later this month.
Netanyahu attempted to rebut
the image of Rouhani as an independent Iranian leader seeking peace and
friendship with the West. It's true the new Iranian leader does not
sound like his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Netanyahu said.
"The
only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf's
clothing. Rouhani is a wolf in sheeps clothing, a wolf who thinks he can
pull the wool over the eyes of the international community."
Read More Here
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