Iran urges Trump to show real intentions with actions

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said that, "actions - not words" will show the intentions of US President Donald Trump and reiterated that Tehran was not seeking nuclear weapons.

Zarif's response came following Trump's statement made on Monday in Tokyo where he said: "We're not looking for a regime change. I just want to make that clear. We're looking for no nuclear weapons," Efe news reported.

"Ayatollah @khamenei_ir long ago said we're not seeking nuclear weapons-by issuing a fatwa (edict) banning them," Zarif tweeted.

"#EconomicTerrorism is hurting the Iranian people and causing tension in the region," referring to the measures adopted by the US since 2018.

Washington re-imposed sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed by Iran with China, France, Russia, the UK, and Germany.

Due to the sanctions and the failure to counter them on the part of other JCPOA signatory countries, Iran announced a suspension of its adherence to some provisions of the nuclear deal on May 8.

The 2015 pact puts limits on certain nuclear activities in Iran in exchange for lifting international sanctions.

Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated since the latter announced it would reinforce its troops deployed in the Middle East among other reasons.

--IANS

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