In this Feb 23, 2021 photo, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a press conference at the International Conference on the Legal-International Claims of the Holy Defense in the capital Tehran. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused on Thursday Washington of following former President Donald Trump's "failed policy" on Iran, after US officials stated unwillingness to authorize the Republic of Korea (ROK) to unfreeze Iranian assets.
"The US claims that it favors diplomacy, not Trump's failed policy of maximum pressure. Yet (State) Secretary (Antony) Blinken boasts about blocking Korea from transferring our OWN money to the Swiss (financial) channel – only used for food & medicines," Zarif wrote on social media, official news agency IRNA reported.
The US claims that it favors diplomacy, not Trump's failed policy of maximum pressure. Yet (State) Secretary (Antony) Blinken boasts about blocking Korea from transferring our OWN money to the Swiss (financial) channel – only used for food & medicines.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister, Iran
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"Repeating the same policy won't yield new results," he said.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismissed press reports about the ROK transferring 1 billion US dollars of Iranian assets to Iran as "relief" before Iran "comes back into compliance" with the 2015 nuclear agreement, Bloomberg reported.
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Iran has repeatedly urged ROK to provide access to its assets of about 7 billion dollars, which has been blocked by the ROK banks on account of US sanctions imposed on Iran after Washington unilaterally withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal in 2018.