by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
America’s rage for global dominance is longstanding, aggressive wars and color revolutions its favored strategies.
Hawkish neocon extremists surrounding Trump pose a greater threat to world peace and stability than their earlier counterparts, Iran a prime target for regime change, global war an ominous possibility.
Weeks earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened Iran with “the strongest sanctions in history” if it fails to comply with outrageous US demands – things Tehran won’t ever agree to, its sovereignty not for sale to Washington or anyone else.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his ultimatums, telling Pompeo: “Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry called his demands “cheap, baseless, insulting and interventionist, a cowardly attempt to turn world public opinion against the Islamic Republic, adding:
His remarks “showed radical and hawkish currents in the US, neither know(ing) history, nor…learn(ing) lessons from it.”
The Trump regime “reneged on all its political, legal and international obligations, is not in a position to set conditions for a major country like Iran, which has made good on its commitments.”
The US “colonialist regime supports terrorism, especially state terrorism. Terror groups such Al-Qaeda, ISIS, the MKO, Jundallah and other Takfiriterrorist groups…survive with American taxpayers’ money and with the support of incompetent systems in the Middle East…”
On Thursday, Mehr News published a commentary by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, blasting the Trump regime, saying regional security can’t be entrusted to its “dangerous” and “erratic behavior.”
He urged establishment of a regional “non-aggression” pact, Middle East nations dealing with their issues, solving their problems “without outside interference and patronage.”
He responded to Pompeo’s outrageous demands no sovereign independent state would accept, saying:
“Impulsive and illogical decisions and behavior of the US president…have already surfaced as the main feature of the decision-making process in Washington over the past 17 months” – endangering everyone everywhere.
The Trump regime “inflict(ed) considerable damage to multilateralism, and the prospects for resolving disputes through diplomacy.”
US withdrawal from the JCPOA flagrantly breached the letter and spirit of a binding international agreement, unanimously adopted by the Security Council – an unacceptable and unlawful action.
What took years to consummate, Trump may have destroyed with a stoke of his pen and outrageous malice against Islamic Republic sovereignty.
Zarif called Pompeo’s outlandish demands “insulting…threats against Iran in brazen contravention of international law, well-established international norms, and civilized behavior…(a) desperate” act by a hostile regime.
The international community rejects them, other than Israel, the Saudis, and a few other US client states.
Pompeo’s outlandish demands were made to be rejected, not accepted, things beyond the scope of the JCPOA.
Threatening the “strongest sanctions in history” if US demands aren’t met barely stopped short of declaring war – showing what Iran is up against in dealing with an extremist regime in Washington wanting its government toppled.
In response to outrageous Pompeo demands, Zarif listed his own, saying:
Washington must cease “inter(fering) in Iran’s domestic affairs” and respect its sovereign independence, in accordance with international law.
It “must abandon its policy of resorting to the threat or use of force,” flagrantly breaching the UN Charter and other international law.
It should “acknowledge its unwarranted and unlawful actions against the people of Iran over the past decades (and) take remedial measures to compensate the people of Iran for the damages incurred” – never again acting unlawfully against the Islamic Republic or any other nation.
It should release billions of dollars of unlawfully blocked Iranian assets.
It must halt its “persistent economic aggression” against the Islamic Republic, lift unjustifiable sanctions, and respect JCPOA provisions.
It must release Iranian and other political prisoners, detained under cruel and inhuman conditions, unjustifiably held on fabricated charges.
It should publicly admit wrongdoing for raping and destroying one nation after another, notably in the Middle East, Central, Northeast and Southeast Asia, as well as North Africa.
It should cease supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, using them as imperial proxies.
It should stop arming and supporting aggressors like Israel, the Saudis and UAE.
It should direct its policies toward benefitting humanity instead of risking its destruction.
It should support efforts to make the Middle East nuclear free, compelling Israel to denuclearize – one of “the most warmongering regimes in our time.”
It should “compel” Israel to stop “gross violations of human rights” against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
It should abandon its policy of using nuclear weapons preemptively on the phony pretext of protecting national security.
It should “once and for all commit” to fully observe and respect all international agreements.
Its foreign policy is contemptuous of international law, norms and standards, said Zarif. It opposes “the rules-based international order.”
It flagrantly violates pacta sunt servanda – the most basic principle of international, affirming that agreements must be kept.
It weakens international organizations by wanting dominance over them. Its destructive agenda “darken(s) the outlook for the international order,” Zarif stressed – calling America “a rogue state and an international outlaw,” adding:
Its unlawful actions prove it can never “be viewed or treated as a reliable party to…serious negotiations” on any issues.
Uprooted Palestinian 
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