Zarif: US playing ‘dangerous game’ in Gulf showdown

Iran’s FM slams US move to shift military hardware to the region, warning it increases the risk of ‘accidents’.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned the United States is “playing a dangerous game” by boosting its military might in the Gulf as the fiery rhetoric between Washington and Tehran continues.
Zarif criticised the US move to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber task force earlier this month in response to an unspecified threat, cautioning that “having all these military assets in a small area is in of itself prone to accidents”.
“Extreme prudence is required and the United States is playing a very, very dangerous game,” he told CNN in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.
Friction between Tehran and Washington has steadily ratcheted up this month, a year after US President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear accord brokered between the Islamic Republic and several other world powers. Under the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, the Trump administration has pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, which it accuses of being a destabilising actor in the Middle East.
‘Respect not threat’
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On Tuesday, Zarif said Tehran had “acted in good faith” over the JCPOA and accused the US of waging “economic warfare” on Iran by reimposing sanctions and moving to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero.
“Iran never negotiates with coercion. You cannot threaten any Iranian and expect them to engage. The way to do it is through respect, not through threats,” Zarif said, adding there would be “painful consequences” if current tensions escalate further.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday that whenever the US administration threatens Iran, international and domestic pressure means “they regret it in less than two hours”.
“All those with the responsibility of the world on their shoulders tell the White House that this was a very dangerous thing to say … [and] the Pentagon’s pressure makes the president apologise and say we don’t mean to wage war or attack,” he said.
Source: aljazeera.com