Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned US President Donald Trump as “a terrorist” over his recent move to call Iranians “a nation of terror” and said the Islamic Republic will see the end of Trump’s era.
“Mr. Trump, with his own comments, has shown that firstly, he does not know history, and, secondly, he does not know the people of Iran,” Zarif said after his meetings with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday.
“Thirdly, he is proving that claims by him and his colleagues about supporting the Iranian people are nothing but lies,” he added.
“A few days ago, he (Trump) said, ‘Iran will end’; Iran will see his end, but he will never see the end of Iran,” Zarif went on to say.
Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday, Trump said, “Iran has been a very dangerous player, a very bad player. They are a nation of terror and we won’t put up with it.”
In a tweet earlier on Sunday, Trump also said, “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran.”
His remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US with Washington imposing new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The US has ratcheted up pressure on Iran since last year after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Since then, the administration of US President Donald Trump is trying to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero,” and has sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.
Iranian officials, however, have dismissed such moves as psychological warfare, saying the country has its own ways of circumventing the American bans and selling crude oil.
Tasnim News Agency