Zarif: The Door to a New Phase of Relations with the U.S. is Closed for the Foreseeable Future

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that he does not expect relations with the United States to reach a 'new phase' in the 'foreseeable future.' In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Safir published on Saturday, November 13, he responded to the question 'Is this door closed?' by saying, 'It is closed.' Zarif also addressed whether this is due to the end of Barack Obama's presidency, stating that 'the door to repentance in Islam is open for everyone.' His remarks came in response to questions posed by the editor of Al-Safir regarding the possibility of normalizing relations between Iran and the U.S. after the nuclear agreement. Zarif emphasized that discussions between Iran and the U.S., despite the 'readiness' of the United States to address other issues, were solely focused on the nuclear file. He noted that the U.S. is 'under the control of the Zionist regime' and added, 'Our lack of trust in the Americans is because we do not consider them serious in resolving regional issues due to their support for the Zionist regime.' Two days prior to these comments, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that the nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers 'could' improve Iran-U.S. relations, 'provided that the United States apologizes for its past behavior.' The United States severed its relations with Iran after a group known as 'Muslim Students Following the Line of Imam' seized its embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and began its first sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has consistently opposed the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.