Talking to US reporters and editors of the country's media outlets on Thursday, he said, "General Soleimani played a big role in fighting terrorism."
Zarif's support for commander of Quds Force takes place at a time when the US has blacklisted the IRGC as terrorist group just for his crucial role in fighting terrorism in Syria and Iraq.
Zarif arrived in New York to attend the high-profile meeting of the UN Economic-Social Council.
Despite restrictions imposed on him, he held talks with BBC, NBC, CNN and Bloomberg.
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