High voter turnout big contributor to Iran’s diplomacy against US

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called for a high turnout in Friday’s parliamentary elections, saying massive participation will strengthen the country’s diplomacy to counter US policies.

“If we want to strengthen the hand of my team in foreign policy [arena] so that they can more seriously counter the sanctions… we have to compel the US to come back to the negotiating table, not bilateral talks but the negotiations that the US has left and that is the P5+1 talks,” Zarif told reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of a cabinet session.

“As the Leader said for the US to wake up to its defeat and come back to the negotiating table, lift sanctions and make up for the losses incurred on the Iranian nation, it needs to know and see that the sanctions have been ineffective and people participate in the elections fervently. This is the biggest boost to the Islamic Republic’s diplomacy to counter the US’ policies,” he added.

Zarif said it is time that the US understood its “maximum pressure policy” had failed.  

The top diplomat said the Iranians showed through their massive participation for the funeral processions of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, that they do not accept the US’ policies and would defend their country against Washington.

“The best manifestation for this support is participation in the election,” he added.

Europeans proved submissive to US

Also in his remarks, Zarif commented on the foreign countries leaving Iran due to the US sanctions and criticized the Europeans for submitting to US pressures.

“The Europeans did not support the US sanctions but yielded to them and proved they are submissive to pressures,” the FM said.

He added that the Europeans’ failure to stand up to the US bullying was of no avail as Washington again threatened to place more duties on European automobile imports and approved sanctions on firms that help finish a gas pipeline into the European Union.

SS