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The following is a transcript of the interview of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, broadcast Sunday, September 30, 2018 on "Face the Nation".
JOHN DICKERSON: While Kavanaugh audiences captivated Washington this week, in New York, a different tragedy was taking place at the UN's Annual General Assembly. We discussed with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif about the deterioration of relations between the United States and Iran since President Trump gave up the Iran nuclear deal. When Margaret Brennan had spoken to Zarif earlier this year, he had suggested that if Mr. Trump withdrew, Iran could resume its nuclear program at a higher speed.
PART 1:
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: It's still … it's always a possibility.
JOHN DICKERSON: But it has not happened yet?
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: This has not happened yet, because the Europeans are working with us to ensure that Iran benefits from the economic benefits of the nuclear deal. And we will work with the Europeans. We have made good progress
JOHN DICKERSON: Let me just make sure that after President Trump left JCPOA, Iran did nothing more to set up a nuclear program?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: We did not do it.
JOHN DICKERSON: The United States is threatening these European countries and saying that if you continue to do business with Iran, you will not be able to do business with the United States anymore. Can they maintain a relationship with Iran under this kind of pressure from the United States?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: The United States calls on countries to violate international law. And tell countries and companies that if they observe the law, they will be punished. This is probably unprecedented. Even as a bully, in a city, go to the sheriff's office and tell them that if you try not to steal people, you will be punished.
JOHN DICKERSON: You think President Trump is a tyrant?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Good. I think the behavior is one. The problem is that the United States is pushing people to act illegally. I do not think it will be sustainable. This policy is going to have a backlash. The international community will not accept that someone comes in and just orders. We will continue to work with Europeans. Certainly some European companies have withdrawn from Iran for fear of US sanctions
JOHN DICKERSON: What faith did they give you that they will stay with Iran under pressure?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: The verbal response was positive. Now we have to see this in operation. And they promise us that before the entry into force of the second round of sanctions, they will have something to solve the problems. We will see.
PART 2:
JOHN DICKERSON: Welcome to Face the Nation. We are continuing our conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif … and the deterioration of relations between the United States and Iran.
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: … today, he says he wants to talk to President Rouhani. Tomorrow he says that President Rouhani is a corrupt dictator –
JOHN DICKERSON: Will they speak?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Then he says that he is a charming man. Then he says we asked to speak and that he is not ready to talk. So, let's be serious –
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, let's do it. You know. You have seen what happened with North Korea. He said a number of very explosive things and now there are talks and you know …
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: But there is not … there is no result. There are some photo opportunities.
JOHN DICKERSON: Is there a chance he's got–
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: –No .–
JOHN DICKERSON: – that Rouhani and President Trump–
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: No. Until what he decides, first of all, President Trump has not decided yet whether he would like to meet or not, dictator, charming man, whatever. He is. But until the United States shows that their partner is respectable and trustworthy in the negotiations, the negotiations are not based on trust. The negotiations based on are based on respect, based on the hope that the other party will comply with its decisions made in the negotiations.
JOHN DICKERSON: What are you doing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: What should I do with him? He did all the bad deeds against Iran. And- and I believe that he has made some major mistakes in our area. I believe – I mean seriously. I believe that the United States needs to review its policy with regard to our region.
JOHN DICKERSON: President Trump has repeatedly targeted Iran in his remarks to the US General Assembly.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: I think it's not a sign of strength. He makes all these statements. He called a meeting of the Security Council to criticize Iran, and at the end of the day, 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council criticized his decision to move away from the JCPOA. So, unfortunately, the United States has managed to isolate itself in the world.
JOHN DICKERSON: President Rouhani said that President Trump has trends that resemble a Nazi disposition. What does it mean?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Well, I want to talk about the xenophobic tendencies that he exposed, the wall, the prohibition by the Muslims – the ban on Iranians traveling to the States -United. All this is rem-I mean remember the type of mentality.
JOHN DICKERSON: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as you know, responded forcefully to this in an interview with Norah O Donnell.
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: He always said forcefully, but forcefully does not mean logic.
JOHN DICKERSON: He said: "As a country that denies the Holocaust and threatens Israel to compare the United States or its leader with the Nazis is one of the most outrageous things that I have. have never heard.
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: As I said, having strength does not make sense. Iran has made it very clear that we reject the killing of innocent people, no matter how many people, no matter who. We have–
JOHN DICKERSON: Are you talking about the Holocaust now?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Of course.
JOHN DICKERSON Yes. And the Holocaust happened–
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Of course, yes.
JOHN DICKERSON: – and 6 million Jews died?
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Of course, yes. And a lot of people are dead – a lot of innocent people are dead. But that does not justify depriving others of their homeland. This does not justify the construction of settlements in the territory of other people. This does not justify the massive violation of Palestinian rights. The Holocaust can not serve as a justification for an apartheid policy in Palestine.
JOHN DICKERSON: You talked about mutual respect, if there were to be new conversations with the United States and Iran. When President Rouhani says that President Trump has the tendencies of the Nazis who are responsible for the deaths of so many innocent Jews, how can you have mutual respect when you do –
FOREIGN MINISTER ZARIF: I mean if you-if you just put the insults that President Trump had against Iran. What President Rouhani says can not even get close to what he did with us. Even in his speech at the General Assembly.
JOHN DICKERSON: Even when he compares it to the organization that killed six million innocent Jewish Jews?
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: This is a man who separated children from their mothers.
JOHN DICKERSON: But it was not the cremation of six million people because of their religion.
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: And he did not call him that, so he said it was a behavior that had the same type of approach.
JOHN DICKERSON: In America, we would call it weasel words. He uses the word Nazi.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: Well, it's a mentality that we think should be avoided because it's a mentality. It's an approach. You see, on September 11, 2001, Iranians came out in large numbers holding a candle to mourn the deaths of Americans. The same Iranians can not come here to the United States to see their children and grandchildren. We received a negative response from the United States Government. The current unreasonable government has destroyed – unreasonably destroyed – an agreement that has been working on for so many years. So, I think we are the ones who should complain. President Trump, in his televised statements, insulted the Iranians. He called all the Iranian people a terrorist nation. He called us a nation outlawed. You do not take it lightly.
JOHN DICKERSON: Okay. Minister of Foreign Affairs, thank you very much.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZARIF: I am happy to be with you.
