America is waging a psychological war against Iran and its trading partners, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday.
"Today, the Americans' main focus is on a psychological war and they are doing all they can to exert psychological pressure on Iranians and our international partners," he said in a live interview on state TV.
The Americans, he said, are trying to tell Iran's partners that if they keep doing business with Iran they will be barred from trading in the US.
Back in May, President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite objections from his closest western allies.
Earlier this month, the US president signed an executive order, reimposing the first round of sanctions on Iran, which had been lifted under the JCPOA. The second phase of US bans will come into effect in November.
Iran has lodged a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Washington's move to re-impose the sanctions.
Zarif said the "illegal" US withdrawal from the JCPOA violated not only the deal but also the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations signed by the two countries in 1955.
He said even close US allies and countries never known to be Iran’s friends, such as Canada, have stood against Washington regarding the JCPOA.
"From the time Trump abandoned the nuclear deal, the Americans have not achieved any of their desired goals," he noted.
Iran does not trust the US and relies on its own people for stability and progress, he said.
One key difference between Iran and some other regional countries is that the latter seek security through buying arms or acquiring nuclear weapons, Zarif said.
Unlike them, "the Islamic Republic relies on its people when it comes to security and progress.”
