Iran: Oct. 18 will be day of ‘historic defeat’ for US

Iran says October 18, when an arms embargo against Tehran is to expire, will mark the day of “historic defeat” for the United States in its persistent efforts to have the ban extended. 

Addressing a press conference in Tehran Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran would no longer be required to obtain permits for either its exports or purchase of conventional arms as of that date.

“October 18 is the day of defeat for America, which did not manage to further its agenda despite all its intransigence, deceitful efforts, and extralegal measures” he noted.

The embargo is set to run out as part of the terms under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear deal signed between Iran and other countries in Vienna in 2015.

Earlier this year, the US presented the United Nations Security Council with a draft resolution seeking to extend the embargo. Washington made the move even as it had quit the JCPOA in 2018.

The US draft was met with an almost across-the-board snub at the Security Council, where only the Dominican Republic voted in favor.

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“The Islamic Republic showed once again that the US is not as much the superpower as it claims to be,” the Iranian official said.

‘US in state of psychosis’

Khatibzadeh further referred to the US Treasury Department’s decision on Thursday to sanction 18 Iranian banks, saying, ”They have sanctioned whatever entity that bears the title ‘bank.’”

The raft of coercive measures are sought to virtually cut off the Islamic Republic from the international financial network. Iran has denounced the sanctions as vehicles of “economic terrorism,” but has vowed that it would survive the pressure.

“It looks like they’ve been frustrated in their previous attempts and have, therefore, reached a state of madness,” the spokesman added, saying Washington had worked itself into a pathological psychosis.

As an example, he reminded that Washington took the decision concerning the banks shortly after offering alleged readiness to help Tehran fight the coronavirus outbreak.

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