Over the past two years, the United States has intensified its hostility against Iran, culminating in breach of its JCPOA commitments, as confirmed by Security Council, Zarif said, addressing the Munich Security Conference on Sunday.

The United States is now trying to force others into violating the nuclear agreement, he added.

Zarif, pointing to Warsaw conference held last week, said the US officials have condemned Europe in Warsaw meeting and Munich Security Conference because they have fulfilled their commitments.

“The United States has never come to terms with the fact that Iran has the basic right to decide its fate. For this reason, it has always been obsessively picking on Iran like a sick person,” Zarif noted.

“The US should have treated its malignant disease much earlier, because today it has turned into one of the biggest threats, even to its own interests and, of course, international peace and security,” foreign minister addressed the audience.

Here is the full text of his speech at Munich Security Conference on Sunday:

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This past Monday, millions of Iranians gathered for mass rallies to mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution; an earthquake that collapsed a pillar of US domination in West Asia.

We’ve never been forgiven by the United States for having exercised our right to self-determination. As a result, we have long been the target of an unhealthy fixation—an obsession—which continues to this very day.

The demonization of my country has been a convenient cross for seven consecutive American presidents to bear—and a smokescreen for America’s regional clients to hide behind. It is long overdue for the United States to dismantle this malign institution, for it has today morphed into one of the greatest threats to even its own interests—and of course international peace and security.

In the past two years, the US has taken its animus towards Iran to a new extreme, as epitomized by its unlawful and unilateral abrogation of its commitments under the painstakingly-negotiated Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council. To gain accomplices in its lawlessness, the US is now even laboring to force others to violate that Resolution, which explicitly calls for normalization of economic relations with Iran.

At the recent meeting of “the unwilling” and “the openly-coerced” in Warsaw, the US Vice President and the Secretary of State both blasted Europe for even attempting—albeit without much practical success—to abide by its obligations under the JCPOA and Security Council Resolution 2231. Yesterday – right here in Munich – Vice President Pence repeated this farce when he arrogantly demanded that Europe must join the US in breaking its commitments while undermining its own security. His hateful accusations against Iran—including his ignorant allegation of anti-Semitism against the heirs of a man described as ‘Messiah’ in the Torah for saving Jews – is both ridiculous and dangerous.

This malign obsession with Iran is imposing costs on others—and especially in our region, which has for 40 years suffered the consequences of US insistence on making wrong choices.

Driven by its pathological obsession with Iran, America has long encouraged reckless and destructive adventurism on the part of its clients: from arming Saddam Hussein in his attack against Iran to supporting the propagation of extremism; from aiding and abetting the ruining of Syria and bombing of innocents in Yemen to whitewashing the incarceration of a Prime Minister and dismemberment of a journalist. In parallel, the US has systematically shielded Israel’s constant aggression against Palestinians, while insulating its severe violations of the sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria.

And all in the name of “containing” Iran.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The US claims—and some blindly parrot its accusation—that it is Iran which is interfering in the region. But has it ever been asked whose region? Just glimpse at a map. The US military has traveled 10,000 kilometers to dot all our borders with bases. Meanwhile, it has milked the region of its resources through vast arms sales. According to the most conservative estimate, the GCC’s military spending alone will reach a record high of $100 billion this year—almost seven times that of Iran.

So, who is really exporting insecurity to our region?

What is it that threatens the region more?

The unfathomable arsenals used to terrorize the people of Yemen? Or Iran’s defensive missiles, which have only ever been used against ISIS terror in self-defense?

Is it Iran that threatens the annihilation of others—or is it Mr. Netanyahu—Israel’s wolf-crier-in-chief—who openly threatens my country’s obliteration while standing next to his nuclear bomb factory?

No theatrics here—including the show put on by Vice President Pence—can obscure these realities.

Indeed, more and more nations are becoming explicit about the fact that the United States is now the single biggest source of destabilization in our neighborhood. As we speak, Iraqi lawmakers are demanding the withdrawal of US forces from their land. And after more than 17 years of failure in Afghanistan, the US is now negotiating with the Taliban to withdraw the American military.

In contrast, our standing with the peoples of Iraq and Syria to counter terrorism has put ISIS on the verge of extinction, with both countries enjoying levels of peace and stability not seen in years.

I arrived here in Munich from Sochi, where President Rouhani continued his dialogue with his Russian and Turkish counterparts on how to further promote peace in Syria. Prior to that, I visited Lebanon and Iraq for 7 days of discussions with government officials, as well as with political, community and business leaders on how to work together to strengthen stability and advance mutual economic opportunity in our region.

But the reckless US obsession with Iran is threatening these hard-won victories.

On another front, Iran’s continued full implementation of the JCPOA—despite the US’ abrogation—has played a major role in decreasing tension and promoting regional and global stability. But Iran cannot foot the entire bill for vital global security achievements – whether it is the nuclear accord, or the combatting of drug and human trafficking to Europe.  Europe needs to invest too. Many around the world—and particularly on this content—speak eloquently about multilateralism. But they also need to walk the walk. For instance, INSTEX falls short of the commitments by the E3 to “save” the JCPOA. Europe needs to be willing to get wet if it wants to swim against the dangerous tide of US unilateralism.

While we have shown our desire for engagement, we don’t depend on others for our security, stability, prosperity and progress. We solely depend on our own people. That is why 40 years of so-called “maximum pressure”—namely demonization, war, sanctions and terror—including the heinous foreign-sponsored terrorist bombing in my country on Wednesday—has failed to “bring Iran to its knees”; nor has it affected our people’s decision-making calculus.

Distinguished Friends,

Iran’s foreign policy is designed to further the goal of creating a strong region that precludes the emergence of hegemonic aspirations by any power – regional or global.

A strong region simply means more confidence, more trade and more interaction between and among the countries in the region, than with external powers.

It requires homegrown political and territorial stability; reliance on the populace as the source of legitimacy, security and prosperity; harmonization of national identities and regional citizenship; participation of all in ensuring peace; and the exercising of strategic self-restraint.

Ladies and Gentlemen

In spite of all the ignorant hate-speech by American officials, let me remind you that we Iranians are proud to be the inheritors of a great civilization. The entirety of humanity is today riding in the same boat and we either sail together; or sink together. Our renowned poet, Sa’adi, testified to this truth over 900 years ago:

All human beings are members of one frame

Since all, at first, from the same essence came.

When time afflicts one limb with pain

The other limbs cannot at rest remain.

I thank you for your attention.

Lavrov, during his speech at Munich Security Conference on Saturday, said that the three guarantor states of Astana process (Russia, Iran and Turkey) agreed during their last summit in Sochi to launch a “Step by Step” process to clear Idlib of terrorist organizations.

He pointed out that a precise plan will be put to save the lives of civilians, not as  the United States did when it destroyed Raqqa city under the pretext of fighting the terrorist organization of ISIL.

She added that the US withdrawal from the only existing agreement with Iran, that is the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), will have no effect on containing what she claimed to be Iran’s “negative” impact.

She then noted that the exit of American troops from Syria would increase the influence of Iran and Russia in the war-torn country.

Merkel, however, maintained that the Iran nuclear deal is an efficinet agreement worth preserving.

Meanwhile, German FM Heiko Maas fired back at US Vice President Mike Pence for demanding EU to follow Washington out of the JCPOA, voicing support for the nuclear deal. Without this agreement, “the region will not be safer,” he said.

The 3-day Munich Security Conference, which will wrap up on Sunday, mainly focuses on ‘International Defense and Trade Cooperation’, and is attended by over 600 top-ranking political figures including heads of states, foreign ministers and defense ministers.

Iran is presented at the international event by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Heiko Maas fired back after harsh criticism from US Vice President Mike Pence of some of Washington’s closest European allies.

According to AP, Maas told a conference of world leaders and top diplomats and defense officials that Germany, Britain, France and the European Union as a whole are committed to preserving the 2015 pact, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But he pressed on what more Europe could do as its companies exit Iran under US pressure, he declined to spell out any new tactics.

Without this agreement, “the region will not be safer and would actually be one step closer to an open confrontation,” he added.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also told the same Conference that the bloc was determined to preserve the “full implementation” of the deal, saying it was vital to European security and an effective guarantor of peace.

“I believe if it was not for the European Union and its member states, starting with France, Germany and the UK, I am sure that the nuclear deal with Iran would have been dead long ago,” she said. “We believe it is fundamental and crucial for our security.”

The comments at the Munich Security Conference came the day after Pence, at a conference in Warsaw, accused the three European NATO allies of trying to “break” American sanctions on Iran and called on them to pull out from the nuclear deal.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also defended the deal, saying that the bloc would do whatever possible to keep it alive.

She told the same Conference that the bloc was determined to preserve the “full implementation” of the deal, saying it was vital to European security and an effective guarantor of peace.

“I believe if it was not for the European Union and its member states, starting with France, Germany and the UK, I am sure that the nuclear deal with Iran would have been dead long ago,” she said. “We believe it is fundamental and crucial for our security.”

In Paris, France’s foreign affairs ministry issued a statement in response to Pence’s call, saying that the country was standing by its commitment to the implementation of the Iran deal.

During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 55th Munich Security Conference, the two sides discussed the latest developments regarding the Iran nuclear deal, regional issues, and other topics of mutual interest.

Mogherini stressed on full implementation of the landmark nuclear deal despite the US’ unilateral sanctions.

A day earlier, Mogherini was quoted as saying during a NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting on in Brussels that “it is a matter of priority to European Union to keep implementing the Iran nuclear deal at full, adding “the Europeans follow their European priorities,” where their views diverge from those of US.