Iran Accuses Netanyahu of Lies, Expects Realistic US Behavior

Local Editor

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif accused "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of lying in his rejection of Tehran's overtures to the West as a cosmetic "charm offensive".

"We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered," Zarif said in an interview with Iranian television broadcast on Tuesday.

Zarif was speaking from the United Nations, where Netanyahu was set to the address the General Assembly later Tuesday, the same forum where last year he used a cartoon bomb as a prop to underline how close he believed Iran was to producing a nuclear warhead.
"For 22 years, the Zionist entity has been lying by repeating endlessly that Iran will have the atomic bomb in six months," Zarif said, and pointed out that "after all these years, the world must understand the reality of these lies and not allow them to be repeated."

Earlier, Zarif met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, discussing the global approach toward human rights.
During the meeting in New York on Monday, the Iranian foreign minister said there should be a change in the current global approach toward the issue of human rights.
Zarif stressed the necessity of approaching human rights in the true sense of the term, not as a political tool and a politicized issue.

Commenting on potential cooperation between Iran and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Zarif said, "The [Office of the] UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and Iran can hold talks and cooperate regarding many issues and perform many tasks in a proper atmosphere."
The Iranian foreign minister also invited the UN official to pay a visit to Iran in the near future.

For her part, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham said Tehran expects Washington to adopt a realistic and respectful approach toward the Islamic Republic.
"We expect the US government to deal with Iran based on a realistic policy and talk to the great Iranian nation with [a language of] respect," Afkham stated during her weekly press conference in the Iranian capital on Tuesday.

She made the remark in response to a question about US President Barack Obama's recent comment repeating the threat of military force against Iran.
Afkham added that the possibility of Iran's constructive interaction with the United States will be considered if Washington resists pressures from the war mongers.

The Iranian official added that the Zionist entity will continue pressuring the US due to Israel's growing isolation and its anger over the fact that the Iranian administration's policies have been welcomed at the international level.

Source: News agencies, Edited by website team