Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm newspaper, underlined that US President Donald Trump will fail in his anti-Iran measures which have recently been intensified by reimposition of sanctions.
“This means declaration of war and will lead to chaos at the international level because many countries, headed by the EU, India, China and Turkey, have officially announced defiance of these sanctions (against Iran),” Atwan wrote on Tuesday.
This means that Iran is not alone and Trump will fail, he added, expressing the hope that this failure would end his presidency.
Washington intensified pressure on Iran on Monday with the reimposition of a series of tough economic sanctions. Trump confirmed he would reinstate sanctions on Tehran that had been waived as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal from which he withdrew the US in May.
The sanctions, which take effect on Tuesday, prohibit Iran from using US currency. They also bar trading in cars and metals and minerals that include gold, steel, coal and aluminium. Iran will also be barred from buying US and European aircraft.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told state television on Monday night that Iran had no intention of negotiating a new deal with the United States.
Trump said on July 30 that he would “certainly meet” Iranian president Hassan Rouhani without preconditions, a move that was later rejected by Trump’s own administration.
Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, Trump said he would meet Iran “anytime they want to”.
Asked whether he would set any preconditions, Trump was clear.
“if the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it’s worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he’s prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him”.
Also, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari dismissed Trump’s call for negotiations with Tehran, reminding him that Iran is totally different from North Korea.
“Mr. Trump! Iran is not North Korea to give a positive response to your demand for a meeting. You should know that the Iranian nation…will never allow their officials to negotiate and meet with the Great Satan,” Jafari wrote in a letter.
“You will take this wish to the grave to see the day when the Islamic Republic of Iran demands for a meeting with you or is allowed by the nation to meet you. You will never see that day,” General Jafari said, addressing Trump.