Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has addressed the Biden administration on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, urging the new president not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors.
“Donald Trump betted on the myth that Iran is a nation that can be forced to choose between collapse and submission. We have all seen the outcome of that bet. But Trump was not the first nor the second, but in fact the seventh consecutive US president who has made and lost the exact same wager,” Zarif said in a speech recorded to camera on Tuesday and uploaded to Twitter on Wednesday.
Seven consecutive US presidents have bet on the myth that Iran can be forced to choose between collapse & submission.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 10, 2021
They all lost the wager, as 42 yrs after the Islamic Revolution, we still stand strong.
My message on the anniversary of our Revolution:https://t.co/CiwIfUlLW7
“With a new administration in Washington there is an opportunity to try a new approach. But the current window is fleeting,” the diplomat warned.
According to Zarif, unless the US takes immediate steps to lift sanctions and rejoin the nuclear agreement, Iran would be compelled, “in accordance with our rights within the JCPOA,” to continue to develop its nuclear programme, and to reduce its cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.
This “remedial action” “can be averted only if the United States decides to learn from Trump’s maximum failure, rather than lean on it,” the foreign minister stressed.
Revolution Anniversary
11 February, 1979 is considered the date of the final victory of the Islamic Revolution in a year-long struggle against the monarchist regime of US-installed dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Middle Eastern nation was officially proclaimed the Islamic Republic of Iran in April 1979 following a referendum.
