If more countries make a joint decision to counter the diverse range of security threats posed by the United States to global security, it can be forced to retreat and adopt a more responsible behavior, a senior security official said.
Speaking at an international security conference in Russia on Tuesday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani pointed to modern security threats, including intelligence services’ activities, psychological operations, cyberattacks and hostile environmental measures, regretting that such tools of war, along with conventional weapons, are at the disposal of warmongers today, IRNA reported.
"Today, security threats have been transformed … in a way that a malware can act as a nuclear weapon," he added.
Shamkhani pointed to the use of Stuxnet virus by the US and Israel to hit Iran's nuclear installments, lamenting that the global silence or weak reaction to this cyberattack have emboldened the US to attack Venezuela's power network.
Stuxnet was a jointly developed American-Israeli cyberweapon used in 2010 to damage Iran's nuclear program, although they refused to openly admit responsibility.
In late March, Venezuela suffered days of power blackout it blamed on a US cyberattack, saying it has enough evidence to prove the claim.
Economic Terrorism
International financial networks and monetary and banking systems are among other instruments that the US administration is using as a weapon against other countries, according to Shamkhani.
"This behavior can be described by no other term than 'economic terrorism'," he said, calling on all countries to resist this policy by creating multilateral mechanisms to stop the US dominance over the global financial system.
Washington's threats target not only other countries' territorial integrity through military means, but also their national sovereignty, he added.
Shamkhani pointed to US President Donald Trump's hostile measures against Iran, including its withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
After unilaterally quitting JCPOA last year, the US reimposed sanctions and initiated a "maximum pressure campaign" against Tehran.
It also threatened other countries to comply with its anti-Iran measures, or face sanctions of their own.
Europe expressed support for the deal, but has not been able to protect Iran's interests, apparently failing to withstand US pressure.
"The US exit from JCPOA and Europe's inaction toward it have eroded the capacity of dialogue and diplomacy to address the world’s security challenges," Shamkhani said.
After giving diplomacy a year to deliver, Iran reduced its commitments under the deal "in order to create a balance in this international agreement", he said.
The US designation of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist group is among its psychological efforts against Tehran, he added.
Proposals
Shamkhani made several proposals to address this wide range of US threats against national security, stability and development of countries.
He proposed launching joint efforts to end the US dollar's dominance in the international economy and making global monetary and banking systems independent.
Opposing America's intervention, bullying and blackmailing to ensure international peace and security was among his other proposal.
Shamkhani called on countries opposing US sanctions to get together in an international conference to discuss effective ways and find long-term solutions to counter such restrictions.
He also urged other countries to offer assistance to states subjected to modern security threats, particularly the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The US is backing the Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaido, who aims to topple its current socialist leader.
