Iran’s ambassador to Russia has called on Moscow and Beijing to join Tehran in an anti-American fight. The sanctions club will face tension in Washington, D.C. and make it more expensive for U.S. governments to undermine their rivals.
Ambassador Kazem Jalali suggested that Russia and China intensify their efforts for Iran, which has been suffering for two years as a component of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
Jalali said the U.S. seeks to weaken Russia and China, suggesting that the two countries would gain advantages by aligning itself more strongly with Iran. “They want Russia to be weak, for China to be subordinate to them economically, and Iran to its colony,” he said. “That’s why we want to cooperate, help each other and complement each other.”
In the years that followed, the White House extended sanctions to reduce its major oil exports and further undermine the Tehran regime. The two sides have approached a confrontation several times, adding after the U.S. regime commander assassinated Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January.
Iranian officials have held a rude position and have promised that the regime will impose U.S. sanctions. But leaders have also continually called for the lifting of sanctions, most recently to help Iran fight the coronavirus pandemic, and have suggested to the foreign network rejecting what it calls U.S. “economic terrorism.”
Jalali told Kommersant that Tehran had “something to offer” Russia and China. “We have great opportunities and we just want to show political will and make efforts to expand that perspective the right way,” he said.
“We are a giant country with [a] giant and young population, we have many mineral resources and complex technologies. If we make joint efforts, we will triumph over American pressure,” the ambassador said.
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