Zarif: Countries That ‘Protect Criminals Who Chainsaw Critics’ Shouldn’t Talk ‘Nonsense’ About Iran - Sputnik International

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has lashed out at his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian over the latter’s recent claim that Iran was “in the process of acquiring nuclear (weapons) capability” and had “destabilised” its neighbours, suggesting the French diplomat needed a “reality check.”

“Dear colleague: You kick-started your cabinet career with arms sales to Saudi war criminals. Avoid absurd nonsense about Iran,” Zarif tweeted.

    “Reality check: YOU are destabilising OUR region. Stop protecting criminals who chainsaw their critics and use YOUR arms to slaughter children in Yemen,” the top Iranian diplomat added, referring to the gruesome details of the 2018 assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the ongoing Saudi-led campaign in Yemen against the Houthi militia.

Zarif went on to accuse the three Western European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of doing “zilch” to preserve the nuclear deal in the aftermath of Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018, and suggested that the reason the JCPOA is still alive was “because of Iran,” not the UK, France and Germany.