B-Team promoted 9/11, now leads economic terror on Iran: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the "B-Team" once facilitated the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), and is now pushing the White House to drive up economic terrorism against Iran.

Zarif took to twitter on Wednesday to criticize a new US presidential directive aimed at "modernizing sanctions" against what Washington determines as terrorism.

The new executive order by Donald Trump allows his administration to dish out sanctions against other countries on the grounds of countering "continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process."

The Iranian FM said in his first tweet that Washington stepped up its economic terror just when the world "minus 3 or 2 panicked cohorts—was breathing a sigh of relief over ouster of" US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who was sacked by Trump on Tuesday.

"Thirst for war—maximum pressure—should go with the warmonger-in-chief," he said, referring to the Trump administration's so-called "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.

The campaign, which Trump revealed in May 2018 upon leaving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and is believed to be masterminded by Bolton, seeks to force Iran into renegotiating a new deal that curbs its missile program and rolls back its regional influence.

Bolton was one of the key members of Zarif's B-Team, which comprises Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Zarif called US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as the B-Team's "henchmen."

In a second tweet which came a few hours later, Zarif reminded his followers of the B-Team's history of backing terrorism and war.

"FIGHTING TO THE LAST US SOLDIER," he wrote. "Same #B_Team which a) provided most 9/11 terrorists & b) pushed the US into the Afghan/Iraq quagmires is now plotting war thru #EconomicTerrorism on Iranians who held a candlelight vigil as WTC was on fire."

Iran has time and again accused the US of waging an economic war using harsh economic sanctions that directly target the people by banning sale of passenger aircraft parts and medicines among other critical goods.

Trump has also stepped up its military presence in the Persian Gulf region and tried to put together an international patrol force to curb what it calls Iran's threat against ships passing through the Strait for Hormuz.

However, with his hawkish policy in tatters as a result of Iran's resistance against the pressure , Trump has been offering talks with senior Iranian officials in recent months.

Tehran has made it clear that it will not negotiate unless the US lifts its sanctions and begins respecting the Iranian nation’s rights.

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