In a sit-down interview with CNN, which aired Tuesday on “New Day,” Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif reacted to President Donald Trump’s decision to order airstrikes to kill Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani.
Zarif advised that Iran will respond “proportionately” to the United States’ act of “state terrorism” and “aggression” against them.
“[Trump is] showing to the international community that he has no respect for international law, that he is prepared to commit war crimes because attacking cultural sites is a war crime. Disproportionate response is a war crime. But he doesn’t care, it seems, about international law.” Zarif told CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen.
“The United States violated three principles: Iraqi sovereignty and the agreement that they had with Iraq. They got a response from the Iraqi parliament. They violated the emotions of the people. They will get a response from the people. They killed one of our most revered commanders and most senior commanders, and they took responsibility for it,” he added. “This is state terrorism, this is an act of aggression against Iran, and it amounts to an armed attack against Iran, and we will respond, but we will respond proportionately, not disproportionately because we are committed to law. We are law-abiding people. We are not lawless like President Trump.”
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