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Iran Disparages U.S. Over Sanctions Iran Disparages U.S. Over Sanctions
(about 3 hours later)
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Tuesday called the White House “mentally retarded,” dismissing the Trump administration’s latest round of economic sanctions as pointless and declaring that Iran would not be intimidated. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Tuesday called the White House “mentally retarded” and vowed that Tehran would not be intimidated by American threats and sanctions.
The remarks, which Mr. Rouhani made in a televised address, made it more clear than ever that Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff despite President Trump’s last-minute decision to call off a missile strike against Iran in retaliation for its shooting down of an American surveillance drone. John Bolton, the White House national security adviser, separately accused Iran of being “a source of belligerence and aggression” across the Middle East.
“Today, the Americans have become desperate and confused,” he added. “This has made them take unusual measures and talk nonsense.” Mr. Bolton, who was in Jerusalem to meet with the national security advisers of Israel and Russia, renewed the Trump administration’s demands that Tehran commit to abandoning any efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, the “pursuit of ballistic missile delivery systems” and what he called “its malign behavior worldwide.”
Mr. Rouhani’s personal attacks on Mr. Trump are especially significant. In the context of the Iranian political system, Mr. Rouhani is regarded as a moderate who is relatively open to negotiations with Washington, and the insults from Mr. Rouhani further diminish the already-remote prospects of talks between the two sides. Their remarks, made it clear that Washington and Tehran remained locked in a standoff despite President Trump’s last-minute decision to call off a missile strike against Iran in retaliation for the shooting down of an American surveillance drone last week.
The Trump administration is continuing to punish Iran with crippling economic sanctions that American officials say are intended to force Tehran to agree to new limits on any efforts to develop nuclear weapons, on its arsenal of ballistic missiles, and on its support for allied militias around the region. Although Mr. Bolton restated the Trump administration’s calls for talks with Iran — “the president has held the door open to real negotiations,” he said — neither side showed any willingness to bend from its demands, and the caustic tone of their remarks further diminished the already remote prospect that talks would take place.
Iran, in response, has said it will take steps that would bring it closer to building a nuclear weapon after four-year lull. It had suspended that work in exchange for sanctions relief under a 2015 agreement with the United States and other international powers, but Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the deal last year in order to start his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign, which is intended to force Iran into a more restrictive pact. “Today, the Americans have become desperate and confused,” Mr. Rouhani said, speaking in a televised address. “This has made them take unusual measures and talk nonsense.”
Tensions have risen sharply over the past six weeks, ever since the Trump administration tightened its sanctions enforcement in an effort to cut off all international sales of Iran’s oil, the lifeblood of its economy. Iranian officials have denounced those sanctions as “economic warfare.” Other Iranian officials have questioned the intelligence of the White House before. But Mr. Rouhani’s engagement in the slinging of insults was significant because, in the context of the Iranian political system, the president has been regarded as a moderate who was relatively open to negotiations with Washington.
The Trump administration is punishing Iran with crippling economic sanctions that American officials say are intended to force Tehran to agree to new limits on any effort to develop nuclear weapons, on its pursuit of ballistic missiles and on its support for allied militias around the region.
But Iranian officials have denounced the sanctions as “economic warfare” and refused hold any talks while they remain in place. Instead, Iran has said it will take steps that will soon violate the 2015 nuclear deal it reached with the United States, Russia, China and several European nations.
Iran had accepted limits on its nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief under the agreement, but Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the deal last year in order to start his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign, which is intended to force Iran into a more restrictive pact.
The Trump administration tightened its sanctions six weeks ago in an effort to cut off all international sales of Iran’s oil, the lifeblood of its economy, setting off a steep escalation in tensions.
The United States has accused Iran of lashing back by using naval mines to damage six tankers in the waters of the Persian Gulf, allegations Mr. Rouhani has denied.The United States has accused Iran of lashing back by using naval mines to damage six tankers in the waters of the Persian Gulf, allegations Mr. Rouhani has denied.
Iran, however, boasted last week of shooting down an American surveillance drone. The United States has said the drone was in international air space, while Iran maintains that the aircraft was over Iranian territory. Iran, however, boasted last week of shooting down the American surveillance drone. The United States has said that the drone was in international air space, while Iran maintains that the aircraft was over its territory.
The Trump administration on Monday added new sanctions targeting Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and some senior military figures. The sanctions block them from entering the United States or using its financial institutions. Nikolai Patrushev, Mr. Bolton’s Russian counterpart, supported Tehran’s account, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. “I have information from the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation that the drone was in Iran’s airspace at the time,” Mr. Patrushev said on Tuesday in Jerusalem, where he was attending the same summit meeting as Mr. Bolton.
He did not explain how the Russian military knew the whereabouts of the drone and said he had not discussed the question with Iran. “We haven’t received any other evidence,” he added.
The Trump administration on Monday added new sanctions that target Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and some senior military figures. The sanctions block them from entering the United States or using its financial institutions.
Mr. Rouhani ridiculed the effort, noting that the supreme leader never visits the United States or does business with it.Mr. Rouhani ridiculed the effort, noting that the supreme leader never visits the United States or does business with it.
“Tehran’s strategic patience does not mean that we are afraid,” Mr. Rouhani said, according to the Mehr news agency. “We do not fear America, and have shown restraint so far.”“Tehran’s strategic patience does not mean that we are afraid,” Mr. Rouhani said, according to the Mehr news agency. “We do not fear America, and have shown restraint so far.”
Trump administration officials have insisted that the United States is prepared to reopen negotiations with Iran as soon as Tehran is willing, and Mr. Trump has often sounded notably more flexible about such talks than the hawkish officials he has appointed to advise him, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, the national security adviser. Trump administration officials have insisted that the United States is prepared to reopen negotiations with Iran as soon as Tehran is willing. But Mr. Trump has often sounded notably more flexible about such talks than the officials he has appointed to advise him, like Mr. Bolton, the national security adviser, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Mr. Rouhani and other Iranians have said the mixed messages and coercive tactics from the Trump administration belie its professed desire to negotiate. Although such language is new for Mr. Rouhani, Tuesday was not the first time senior Iranian officials have referred to the White House as “mentally retarded.” On Tuesday, Mr. Bolton appeared to simultaneously invite Iran into negotiations while demanding complete capitulation.
Mr. Trump, however, has at times shown a remarkable willingness to move past an exchange of insults. It was only a short time after the North Korean leader called Mr. Trump a “dotard” that the president plunged eagerly into one-on-one talks with that leader, Kim Jong Un. Accusing Iran of a “continued pursuit of deliverable nuclear weapons” despite the deal reached in 2015, Mr. Bolton said that Mr. Trump now sought “real negotiations to completely and verifiably eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons program, its pursuit of ballistic missile delivery systems, its support for international terrorism and its other malign behavior worldwide.”
“All that Iran needs to do is to walk through that open door,” Mr. Bolton said.
Mr. Rouhani and other Iranians have said the mixed messages and coercive tactics from the Trump administration belie its professed desire to negotiate.
Still, the history of the Trump administration’s foreign policy suggests that a sudden reversal remains, even after a relative moderate like Mr. Rouhani has called the White House “mentally retarded.”
Mr. Trump has at times shown a remarkable willingness to move past an exchange of insults. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un called the president “mentally deranged” and a “dotard” only a short time before Mr. Trump plunged eagerly into one-on-one talks with his North Korean counterpart.