“The possible sanctions against Zarif are because he has been an efficient figure in the international arena as well as in the US internal politics. Now, he is target of these orchestrated aggressive attacks,” Reza Nasri told IRNA on Wednesday. 

He called the move “an unconventional reaction of radical forces” against “a die-hard rival” that hasn’t been defeated through conventional media and diplomatic tools. 

"Zarif is a very efficient diplomat that has not only proven Iran’s righteousness in the international arena, but also neutralized most of the propaganda and other plans based on his own personal characteristics," added the lawyer. 

According to Nasri, the “radical” move by Washington to impose sanctions on senior Iranian officials and possibly on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif “means that radical forces are moving pieces towards a military confrontation”. 

The Iranian lawyer said possible sanctions on Zarif need to be detailed and defined first to be later analyzed if they violate international norms and conventions. 

Nasri called the move “unprecedented” given that Zarif is a well-known foreign minister, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times. 

“Such restrictions and pressures against foreign ministers are applied to those involved in international crimes only,” he said. 

“The US sanctions have moved from targeting industries, banks, military and other trade arteries to diplomats,” Reza Nasri added, warning against world reactions towards the US “fight against diplomacy” and that the US “is running out of sanctions options”. 

The advocate went on to stress that “US sanctions don’t match its words”, warning that Tehran considers it “a hostile action”. 

He emphasized that should sanctions on Zarif bar his upcoming visit to the UN, there will be the possibility to pursue the move in international mechanisms and the UN entities. 

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