Zarif accuses Bolton of "plotting for war" with IranJune 26, 2019 - 11:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Recent calls from U.S. officials for greater diplomacy with Tehran are not genuine, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said, as tensions between the two countries continue to mount, The Middle East Eye reports. In a tweet on Tuesday, June 25, Zarif pointed to a 2017 column by John Bolton in which the U.S. national security adviser encourages the U.S. to keep the possibility of talks with Iran open - but only rhetorically. The end goal of such overtures from Washington, Bolton openly argued in the piece, is to "demonstrate" that Tehran wants to develop nuclear weapons. "Iran never left the negotiation table. #B_Team dragged the U.S. out, while plotting for war," Zarif tweeted. The foreign minister has frequently criticised Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, whom he calls the "B Team", for stoking anti-Iran hostility. His comment comes amid calls for talks between Washington and Tehran to stem ongoing tensions. Even Bolton - a hawkish member of the Trump administration who has advocated regime change in Iran - recently said the U.S. wants to enter into "real negotiations" with Iran. But his 2017 column laid out a strategy for the U.S. to leave the most critical diplomatic agreement involving the U.S. and Iran in years: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That multinational agreement saw Iran drastically scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against its economy. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |