Iran dismisses possibility of conflict, says does not want war
Iran's top diplomat on Saturday dismissed the possibility of war erupting in the region, saying Tehran did not want a conflict and that no country had the "illusion it can confront Iran," the state news agency IRNA reported.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent days, raising concerns about a potential U.S.-Iran conflict. Earlier this week the United States pulled some diplomatic staff from its Baghdad embassy following attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf.
File Photo of Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. /Reuters Photo
"There will be no war because neither do we want war nor has anyone the idea or illusion it can confront Iran in the region," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told IRNA before ending a visit to Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has bolstered economic sanctions and built up U.S. military presence in the region, accusing Iran of threats to U.S. troops and interests. Tehran has described those steps as "psychological warfare" and a "political game."
"The fact is that Trump has officially said and reiterated again that he does not want a war, but people around him are pushing for war on the pretext that they want to make America stronger against Iran," Zarif said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (C) meets Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (not pictured) in Beijing, China, May 17, 2019. /Reuters Photo
In Tehran, Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said on Saturday that Iran had nothing to fear from the United States, which he said was in decline, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.
"The U.S. political system is full of cracks. Though impressive-looking, it has osteoporosis. In fact, America's story is like the World Trade Center towers that collapse with a sudden blow," Salami, known for his fiery rhetoric, was quoted as saying.
In a sign of the heightened tension across the region, Exxon Mobil evacuated foreign staff from an oilfield in neighboring Iraq after days of saber-rattling between Washington and Tehran.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Bahrain warned its citizens against traveling to Iraq or Iran due to "unstable conditions."
Iranian crude oil exports have fallen in May to 500,000 barrels per day or lower, according to tanker data and industry sources, after the United States tightened the screws on Iran's main source of income.