Iranian officials raise two possible options for reacting to the US pressures

Tabnak – As the United States has intensified its pressure campaign against Iran by not extending the sanctions waivers for the buyers of Iranian oil, discussions on possible reactions by Iran have been seriously raised in the media. Two high-ranking Iranian officials have recently talked of Tehran’s options to react to Washington’s hostile approach.

In this vein, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is one of Iran’s “numerous” choices in the wake of tightened US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Republic’s choices are numerous and the country’s officials are considering them,” Zarif said in a Persian-language interview with IRNA. The Iranian top diplomat further emphasized that leaving the NPT is one of the choices.

He also pointed to the upcoming UN meetings on the reforms of the international nuclear treaty, saying that the NPT has “three legs” which should move at the same time.

The three legs include peaceful cooperation in the nuclear field, non-proliferation, and security guarantees for non-nuclear countries, by which they should not be threatened, he added

“It is necessary that all of these, especially the third leg move simultaneously,” he noted, adding that the most important guarantee is the nuclear disarmament, which the nuclear countries have never done at all.

Meanwhile, Iran’s top military commander warns that if the enemies take any step to stop the export of Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic may adopt retaliatory measures.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri told reporters on Sunday that no change has so far been reported in the conduct of US warships, commercial vessels and oil tankers, and they have up until now been responding to the IRGC’s questions as usual while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz

Saying that Iran is not going to close the strait, Baqeri emphasized “We do not intend to shut it unless the enemies’ hostile acts will leave us with no other option. We will be fully capable of closing it on that day.”

“If anybody is to make the Strait of Hormuz unsafe, we will certainly counter it, and if our oil is not to be shipped over through the Strait of Hormuz, then the oil of others will definitely not go through the strait either,” the top general underlined.

Earlier this week, the White House once again took aim at Iran’s oil sector, ending six months of waivers which allowed Tehran’s eight largest customers to continue importing limited volumes.

It threatened the buyers of Iranian oil with sanctions if they fail to stop their purchases by May 1, in a move that quickly sent global crude prices to their highest levels since last November.