Trump administration destabilizes global peace: Iran's Zarif
GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran’s foreign minister tweeted on Friday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was a threat to the Middle East and to the global community.
FILE PHOTO: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif smiles as he attends a bilateral meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Singapore, August 3, 2018. REUTERS/Feline Lim/File Photo
“It is true that there is a real threat to our region and to international peace and security: that threat is the Trump administration’s sense of entitlement to destabilize the world along with rogue accomplices in our region,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said. “The U.S. must start acting like a normal state.”
Tensions have ramped up between Iran and the United States after Trump withdrew from a landmark multi-lateral nuclear deal in May and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic last month.
FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia following their meeting in Tehran, Iran September 7, 2018. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Separately, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Friday that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
A foreign news agency reported that Iran requested such a meeting during the United Nations General Assembly which began this week, citing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, according to IRNA.
IRNA did not identify the foreign news agency.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is scheduled to address the General Assembly next week, according to Iranian state media.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never put forth a request for a meeting with Trump,” Qassemi said.
Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Richard Balmforth
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