Zarif: The U.S. Has Not Achieved Its Goals from Reimposing Sanctions

On the brink of another round of sanctions against Iran, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic states that the anticipated goals of the U.S. from reinstating sanctions have not been realized and that the "international community," including "neighbors and European countries," has "resisted well" against Washington's unilateral actions. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Istanbul to participate in a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, accused the U.S. of "law-breaking" for reinstating sanctions against Iran, while also stating that "the Americans did not achieve their intended goal with illegal sanctions against Iran." Regarding the second round of sanctions, Zarif expressed skepticism about any new developments, describing the purpose of the sanctions' return as "punishment" for countries he claims are "law-abiding," adding that the U.S. approach in this regard has "huge consequences for global order." The United States exited the JCPOA in May after months of criticism regarding Iran's violation of the spirit of the nuclear agreement and ordered the reinstatement of those sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal in two time frames of 90 days and 180 days. Some of these sanctions, which limited the automotive industry, the trade of precious metals, and Iran's access to dollars, were implemented in mid-August, and next week, on November 5, additional sanctions targeting mainly the oil and energy sectors will be reinstated. However, there are uncertainties regarding the special European mechanism for trade with Iran. American officials have previously stated their determination to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero by that time, and reports have emerged about a reduction in oil imports from Iran by some major Asian buyers. For instance, although South Korea announced on Tuesday that it had requested "maximum flexibility" from American officials regarding the sanctions, reports indicate that South Korean buyers reduced their oil imports from Iran to zero in September. According to Reuters, the South Korean Foreign Minister, in a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, requested that the U.S. show maximum flexibility regarding exemptions for its companies from the sanctions to minimize the losses of South Korean companies due to the new sanctions. South Korea had previously secured exemptions from the U.S. government during the imposition of pre-nuclear deal sanctions, but now the U.S. position is significantly tougher than at that time. Meanwhile, Turkey, another importer of Iranian energy products, has emphasized that it will not comply with U.S. oil sanctions against Iran. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated on Tuesday that "some private sector companies may change their methods of working with Iran, but countries like Turkey will not allow their relations with Iran to be harmed due to the demands of another country." Anadolu Agency reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that Iran and Azerbaijan are sources of energy supply for Turkey, and Ankara will continue cooperation with these countries. The Turkish Foreign Minister also mentioned that discussions were held with the foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan regarding the return of U.S. sanctions, nuclear issues, and "what measures and support we can provide in response to that." It has been reported that during the trilateral meeting in Istanbul, the foreign ministers of the three countries also held bilateral meetings with each other. Iran is set to host the seventh trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries next year, although a precise timeline for this meeting has not yet been announced.