Iran's Zarif says "B-Team" wants war, not diplomacy, with Tehran

(Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a tweet after U.S. imposed new sanctions on Tehran, said hawkish politicians close to U.S. President Donald Trump were thirsty for war rather than diplomacy.

" is 100% right that the US military has no business in the Persian Gulf. Removal of its forces is fully in line with interests of US and the world. But it's now clear that the #B_Team is not concerned with US interests—they despise diplomacy, and thirst for war," he tweeted.

Zarif has in the past said that a so-called "B-team" including Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton, an ardent Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into a conflict with Tehran.

Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials with new U.S. sanctions on Monday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Zarif will be placed under sanctions this week.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Your guide to the latest cricket World Cup stories, analysis, reports, opinions, live updates and scores on https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019.html. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or like our Facebook page for updates throughout the ongoing event in England and Wales.

Source: Firstpost.com

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

Iran • Arrested Development (season 4) • Diplomacy • Tehran • Reuters • Iran • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (France) • Mohammad Javad Zarif • Twitter • Sanctions against Iran • Tehran • War hawk • President of the United States • Donald Trump • War • Diplomacy • United States Armed Forces • Persian Gulf • Diplomacy • Mohammad Javad Zarif • Donald Trump • National Security Advisor (United States) • John R. Bolton • Iran • MIM-23 Hawk • Conservatism in the United States • Prime Minister of Israel • Benjamin Netanyahu • Donald Trump • 2006 Lebanon War • Tehran • Donald Trump • 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats • Iranian peoples • Ali Khamenei • Ali Khamenei • Iranian peoples • U.S. sanctions against Iran • United States Department of the Treasury • Steven Mnuchin • Firstpost • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook •