Israel and US ‘seek war in Gulf area’

Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday accused Israel of looking for war and warned its actions and those of the US are raising the chances of a clash in the region.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference, Mohammad Javad Zarif also criticised the US administration after US vicepresident Mike Pence this week called on European powers to pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran. Zarif urged France, Germany and Britain to do more to save the accord.

“Certainly, some people are looking for war ... Israel,” Zarif said. “The risk [of war] is great. The risk will be even greater if you continue to turn a blind eye to severe violations of international law.”

Accusing Israel of violating such law after bombing campaigns in Syria, Zarif criticised European powers for not calling out Israel and the US for their behaviour in the region.

“Israeli behaviour is putting international law on the shelf, US behaviour is putting international law on the shelf,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday Iranian belligerence was the main destabilising factor in the entire Middle East.

THE US MILITARY HAS TRAVELLED 10,000KM TO DOT OUR BORDERS WITH ITS BASES. THERE IS JOKE IRAN PUT ITSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF US BASES

“We must deny Iran nuclear weaponry and block its military entrenchment in Syria. We will continue taking constant action to ensure Israel’s security,” he said in remarks broadcast on Israeli media.

Pence on Friday accused Iran of Nazi-like anti-Semitism, maintaining his harsh rhetoric against Tehran just a day after he attacked European powers for trying to undermine US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Zarif said the US had an “unhealthy” and “pathological obsession” with Iran and accused Pence of trying to bully his allies.

“All in the name of containing Iran, the US claims, and some blindly parrot, that it is Iran that is interfering in the region, but has it been asked whose region?” Zarif said.

“Look at the map, the US military has travelled 10,000km to dot all our borders with its bases. There is a joke that it is Iran that put itself in the middle of US bases.”

Zarif, who said Iran is committed to the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers for now, also accused France, Britain and Germany of not doing enough to ensure Tehran received the economic benefits of that accord.

The three countries in February set up the Instrument In Support Of Trade Exchanges, a new channel for nondollar trade with Iran to avoid US sanctions. But diplomats say it is unlikely to allow the big transactions Tehran wants to keep the nuclear deal afloat.