Skip to main content

US blacklists Iranian foreign minister

After the United States placed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, White House officials told the media that he was merely a propaganda chief not worth negotiating with; experts, however, said Zarif was an effective messenger for the Islamic Republic.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif talks to the media during the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Coordinating Bureau in Caracas, Venezuela July 20, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero - RC197678EF30

The Trump administration announced today that it is placing sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a move likely to raise doubts about President Donald Trump’s oft-cited goal of negotiating a new deal with Iran and to further estrange Washington from its European allies. The designation also may boost Zarif at home.

Zarif told Al-Monitor that he was notified about the US designation while in New York, and mocked the stated US rational for the decision.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.