Iran's priority to de-escalate tensions with US: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the main priority of his country is to de-escalate tensions with the United States.

The Trump Administration had announced new sanctions against entities and individuals with ties to Iran.The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks in a meeting with members of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

While elaborating on priorities of foreign policy programmes in the President Rouhani's second term, IRNA quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying,"De-escalation of tensions and tension management with the U.S. are among the Foreign Ministry's priorities."

"We want peace among countries and we do not want tension," Zarif said.

He said that the Foreign Ministry is committed to defend Iran interests enshrined in the JCPOA.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Americans are not able to prevent Iran to benefit from the Joint

Comprehensive Plan of Action reached between Iran and G5+1 (the US, the UK, Russia, France and China plus Germany).

'Americans themselves should pay the costs of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) potential termination,' the foreign minister added.

Zarif said United States policy of isolation of Islamic Republic has failed and their Iranophobia plot has been foiled as President Rouhani's inauguration was attended by world leaders .

He underlined that economic department has been established in the Foreign Ministry to boost economic, trade relations and diplomacy with other countries.

Striking a hardline against Iran, the Trump administration has branded Iran "state sponsor of terrorism", called for efforts to "isolate" it, and pledged to "renegotiate the deal" among others.

The U.S. State Department has criticized Iran for continuing to develop its ballistic missile program

US officials have also accused Iran of supporting groups that Washington has designated as terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and violent groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, arguing the country is threatening to destabilize the Middle East.

In mid-July, the Trump administration sanctioned 18 people and entities, under existing laws, for non-nuclear reasons, such as supporting ballistic missile development.