Iran's Foreign Min believes US sanctions will not be an 'obstacle' once UN embargo expires

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday, September 19 said that potential US Sanctions would likely be ineffective once the UN embargo on arms sales to Iran expires. As per reports, while the international ban on the sale of conventional weapons to Iran expires on October 18, the United States has claimed that it would impose fresh sanctions on the Islamic Republic to prevent it from buying weapons.

Read: Iran Witnessing ‘third Wave’ Of Coronavirus Outbreak, Warn Health Experts

US sanctions likely ineffective: Zarif

According to reports, while appearing on local media, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, “We will be able to satisfy our needs with the help of countries with which we have strategic relations, for example, Russia and China... We can provide for ourselves, we can even export weapons. However, when necessary, we can buy from these countries. I doubt that secondary US sanctions will be an obstacle for them.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month announced that it had begun a 30-day period to snapback UN sanctions on Iran and that it expected the arms embargo to be renewed at 12 am (GMT) on Sunday after the embargo expires.

Tensions have been high between Iran and the US ever since the Trump administration decided to unilaterally back out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Since then, the US has tried to re-impose pre-deal sanctions on Iran. It even introduced a resolution in the United Nations Security Council last month with the goal of reinstating sanctions but the move was soundly defeated with only two votes in favour of US.

Read: US Prepares To Announce Re-imposition Of All International Sanctions Against Iran

Iran vows to avenge slain General

Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to avenge the death of military leader Qassem Soleimani. Gen. Hossein Salami said that the IRGC, designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States, will target everyone involved in the killing of Soleimani in an “honourable” retaliation.

Politico had reported on September 13 that US intelligence officials believe Iranian officials are planning to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa to avenge the death of Soleimani. After the US media report, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran that any attack would be met with a response of "1,000 times greater in magnitude.”

(With ANI inputs)

Read: Iran Warns US Against Making A 'strategic Mistake' After Trump's Threat

Read: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Vows To Avenge Qassem Soleimani's Killing