Zarif Accuses US of 'Economic Terrorism'

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says Iran's supreme leader will not meet President Trump unless Washington halts its "economic terrorism" that has hurt ordinary Iranians. Zarif says the removal of US sanctions could also help salvage the Iranian nuclear deal, which the US unilaterally withdrew from last year, the AP reports. He says Tehran has the right to reduce its compliance under the nuclear pact after the US left but it can easily "revert back to full implementation" if the US fulfills its commitment and returns to the table. He told a forum in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that "you do not negotiate with terrorists. If they want to negotiate, they have to abandon terrorism," in reference to the rollback of sanctions. (Iran's U-turn on possible talks followed signs of a thaw in relations after Zarif's surprise visit to the G7 summit.)