Rubio Welcomes Sanctions Against Javad Zarif

Today, the Trump administration announced that sanctions would be imposed against Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) welcomed the sanctions, but Zarif was not pleased at hearing the news.

In a statement, Senator Rubio praised the Trump administration for imposing the sanctions, arguing that it will “block any U.S. – based assets of Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who is not so much a diplomat as the Iranian Supreme Leader’s minister of international lies and propaganda.”

Moreover, Senator Rubio explained that he’s “very concerned that the Administration just renewed controversial sanctions waivers that are allowing Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime and other foreign countries not only to continue assisting the Iranian regime’s expansion of nuclear infrastructure, but also to keep the flawed Iran nuclear deal on life support.”

Rubio also detailed that “the Iranian regime blatantly violated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by concealing from international inspectors its dangerous ‘Atomic Archive’ for rapid nuclear weaponization, and it continues to violate the deal by escalating its uranium enrichment activities.”

He concluded that “the right response here is to continue maximizing international pressure against the Iranian regime – not to ease it.”

On twitter, Zarif mocked the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions, saying that “the US’ reason for designating me is that I am Iran’s ‘primary spokesperson around the world.”

As well, Zarif questioned “Is the truth really that painful? It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran.”

Zarif thanked the Trump administration “for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda.”

In a statement from the Treasury Department, it’s explained that sanctions were imposed against Zarif because he “acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly” Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, who was sanctioned last month.