According To Iran News, Spokesman for Iran’s Guardian Council Abbasali Kadkhodaei shrugged off the recent US sanctions against the members of the council, saying it is an honor to be blacklisted by the enemies of the Iranian nation.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kadkhodaei said the latest decision from the US administration to impose sanctions against five members of the Guardian Council is not anything new to the Islamic Republic, since the US has shown hostility towards and made threats against the Iranian nation over the past 41 years and has always received a response.

He also described the US sanctions on the Guardian Council members as an “emblem of honor”, stressing that people of Iran will give a strong response to the US hostility with their huge turnout in the Friday’s election.

Kadkhodaei underlined that the Guardian Council members have been by no means irritated at the new US sanctions, saying they are delighted to receive such medal of honor from the archenemies of Iran.

His comments came after US President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday announced sanctions against five Iranian officials in the Guardian Council.

The sanctions were announced a day before Iran’s parliamentary election.

The Guardian Council is a constitutionally mandated 12-member council in Iran that, among other things, is tasked with ensuring the compatibility of the legislation passed by the parliament with the criteria of Islam and the Constitution.

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement on Friday blacklisting Azari Jahromi for what it called his role in “widescale internet censorship,” a reference to a nationwide internet shutdown for security reasons during riots against petrol price hike.

Mousavi said, “The current administration of the United States attaches no value to democratic principles and values, transparency and human rights and also freedom of [access to] internet.”

He added that the U.S. administration exerts pressure on social networks, especially Twitter, to suppress voices.

“I’m not the only member of club of sanctioned persons (Based on Trump’s fairytales). Before me, Iran ICT startups, Developers, Cancer patients and EB children were there. I’ll continue advocating access to Internet & I won’t let US to prohibit Iran development,” Azari Jahromi tweeted on Friday.

The sanctions on Azari Jahromi came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to impose even more sanctions on Iran over the country’s handling of the recent unrests.

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What follows in the text of the Lebanese leader’s letter to Zarif, according to IFP:

Dear brother, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran;

May the peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you;

When the American authorities announced the imposition of sanctions on you and added you to the list of the honorable people, my brothers and I decided to send you a message to express our solidarity and respect; but I preferred to postpone issuing the message until today, August 14, the day on which the Lebanese resistance could defeat the US and so-called Israel with the full support and backing from the Islamic Republic of Iran during a 33-day war in July and August 2006.

The decisions and plots in that cruel war and grave invasion were made in America, and were under the authority of the powerless administration of George Bush the son, Condoleezza Rice, and John Bolton. The Israeli army, alleged by them to be the strongest army in the region, was merely an instrument for operation in that war.

Bolton, the then US envoy in the (UN) Security Council, had told one of the Arab officials in that war, “There is no room for diplomatic activity, because the war would not end unless with Hezbollah’s destruction or surrender.” But a few weeks later, Bolton told that Arab official, “We must finish the war right now.”

“Did you destroy Hezbollah?” the Arab official asked him.

“No,” Bolton said.

“Did you force Hezbollah to surrender?”

“No.”

“So why are you ending the war?”

“Because if the war continues, ‘Israel’ will be gripped by a tremendous catastrophe,” Bolton replied.

Mr. Minister, our dear friend;

Bolton, who threatens to overthrow the Islamic Republic’s establishment, has had no achievement or victory in his life. On these days back in 2006, the US retreated and was defeated in the face of popular resistance from a country with a small area and embroiled in internal disunity, let alone in the face of a great regional country, a united nation, a coherent establishment, and an august leadership.

Mr. Minister; you are a loud voice in all international venues, who discloses the truth, expresses what is rightful, and shouts it before the eyes of the world’s unruliest tyrants, namely the US and (Donald) Trump and all individuals of the same type, and this is the biggest jihad.

They sought to besiege you, push you away, and intimidate you, but your presence and influence were strengthened and your position was elevated; and God willing, you will continue to remain an advocate of the oppressed and those resisting in the same way.

May God protect and help you.

Hassan Nasrallah

August 14, 2019

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In a post on his Twitter account minutes after announcement of the new US sanction, Zarif said, “The US’ reason for designating me is that I am Iran’s ‘primary spokesperson around the world’. Is the truth really that painful?”

The top Iranian diplomat also questioned the efficiency of the US sanction on him, adding, “It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran. Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda.”

In another post a few hours later, Zarif said, “We know that calling for dialog & peace is an existential threat to B-Team. And since reason for designating me is my words, would ‘US persons’ need OFAC license to ‘engage’ with me by reading my writings or listening to interviews?”

The Trump administration said it would make decisions on whether to grant Zarif travel visas, including for trips to the United Nations, on a case by case basis, holding open the possibility that he might attend the annual UN General Assembly in September.

Reuters quoted a senior US official as saying that US President Donald Trump was open to talks with Iran, but Washington would want to deal with a key decision maker, which it did not consider Zarif to be.

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