Zarif: It is good for the U.S. to take advantage of this historic opportunity

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in response to recent statements by the U.S. President, stated that 'America's wrong policies' towards Iran 'have yielded no results' and that now is an 'exceptional opportunity' to 'test a new path.' According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, Zarif mentioned on August 6 that 'now is an exceptional opportunity to rectify the past and test a new path that has brought significant achievements for all peace-seekers in just two years, despite all ups and downs and even some deviations.' His remarks refer to the nuclear agreement reached on July 14 between Tehran and world powers, under which Iran will limit its nuclear program and simultaneously lift international sanctions related to it. U.S. President Barack Obama, defending this agreement on August 5 in a speech at American University in Washington, stated, 'Let’s not play with words; the only options we ultimately face are choosing between diplomacy or some form of war.' The U.S. President has repeatedly emphasized diplomacy over war. He also mentioned that sanctions against Iran regarding human rights issues and what he described as the country's support for 'terrorism' would continue. In response, Zarif referred to the U.S. support for the coup against Mohammad Mossadegh's government and the use of chemical weapons by Saddam Hussein's regime during the war with Iran. He stated that these events remain alive in the 'historical memory of the Iranian people' and added, 'Otherwise, these people have no problem with the American nation.' Zarif urged the U.S. government to take advantage of the 'exceptional opportunity' created by the nuclear agreement for what he termed 'rectifying the past' and to test a new path. He stated that Iran's 'disgust' towards U.S. policies should not be used as a pretext for 'baseless accusations' such as 'anti-Semitism or hostility towards the American people.' Obama, in his recent speech, referred to the slogan 'Death to America' in Iran and said that just because extremists in Iran shout 'Death to America' does not mean that all Iranians hold such beliefs.