Iran unmoved by US threats, relies on own defense means: Zarif

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran is “unmoved” by the United States’ threats and only relies on its own defense means amid hostile rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, including hints of military aggression, emanating from Washington.

“Iran is unmoved by threats as we derive security from our people,” Zarif said in a post on his Twitter account on Friday, Press TV reported.

“We will never initiate war, but we can only rely on our own means of defense,” the Iranian minister pointed out.

In another tweet, published minutes later, Zarif challenged Iran's enemies to verifiably and sincerely declare the defensive nature of their military program.

"We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in self-defense. Let us see if any of those who complain can make the same statement," he said. 

Zarif's tweets also contained a video of him responding to reporters on Iran's defensive missile program during a conference in Wellington, New Zealand, in March 2016.

Referring to Iraq's eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s, Zarif said during the conference, “We are entitled to the rudimentary means of defense which we need in order to prevent another [executed Iraqi dictator] Saddam Hussein around the corner [from] attacking us with chemical weapons because the international community has failed miserably in protecting the Iranian people, in safeguarding international humanitarian law.”

Zarif's tweets came after US President Donald Trump tweeted early on Friday that “Iran is playing with fire.”

Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said on Thursday that Iran’s “successful” recent ballistic missile test had neither breached the deal nor the resolution.

"Iran's missile tests are not, and have never been, in violation of the JCPOA or Resolution 2231,” Dehqan added.

SS