Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday launched a bitter broadside against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to his likely ouster from power.

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"Netanyahu has joined the disgraceful journey of his anti-Iran co-conspirators – [former US national security adviser John] Bolton, [former US President Donald] Trump and [former US Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo – into the dustbin of history. Iran continues to stand tall. This destiny has been repeated over several millennia for all those wishing Iranians harm. Time to change course," Zarif tweeted.

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The force's program "will be unchanged from the time of his predecessor," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement published by state media.

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Iranian state TV carried a statement by Khamenei also calling Soleimani "the international face of resistance." Khamenei declared three days of public mourning for the general's death.

"All Enemies should know that the jihad of resistance will continue with a doubled motivation, and a definite victory awaits the fighters in the holy war," the Iranian leader added.

The United States killed Iran's top general and the architect of Tehran's proxy wars in the Middle East in an airstrike at Baghdad's international airport early on Friday, an attack that threatens to dramatically ratchet up tensions in the region.

The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.

The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 3, 2020

The targeted killing of Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, could draw forceful Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region and spiral into a far larger conflict between the US and Iran, endangering US troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond, and which could also engulf ally Israel.

The security cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene at noon on Friday to discuss the developing situation and possible Iranian responses, likely via the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.

Video: Reuters

The Defense Department said it killed Soleimani because he "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region." It also accused Soleimani of approving the attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week.

An adviser to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani quickly warned US President Donald Trump of retaliation from Tehran.

"Trump through his gamble has dragged the US into the most dangerous situation in the region," Hessameddin Ashena wrote on the social media app Telegram. "Whoever put his foot beyond the red line should be ready to face its consequences."

Iranian state television later in a commentary called Trump's order to kill Soleimani "the biggest miscalculation by the US" in the years since World War II. "The people of the region will no longer allow Americans to stay," the TV said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, "The brutality and stupidity of American terrorist forces in assassinating Commander Soleimani ... will undoubtedly make the tree of resistance in the region and the world more prosperous."

On Twitter he said the assassination of Soleimani was "an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation."

"The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism," he said in the post.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his organization, which is Iran's chief proxy in the Middle East, "will continue path of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, to achieve his goals," Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel reported.

Hamas spokesman Bassem Naim said on Twitter that the assassination "opens the doors of the region to all possibilities, except calm & stability. USA bears the responsibility for that."

Iraqis — Iraqis — dancing in the street for freedom; thankful that General Soleimani is no more. pic.twitter.com/huFcae3ap4

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 3, 2020

Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Soleimani "joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America."

The airport strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, and five others, including the PMF's airport protocol officer, Mohammed Reda, Iraqi officials said.

American presidents claim broad authority to act without the approval of the Congress when US personnel or interests are facing an imminent threat, and Trump allies were quick to praise the action.

"To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more," tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said via Twitter: "Iraqis – Iraqis – dancing in the street for freedom; thankful that General Soleimani is no more."

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called Soleimani "an archterrorist with American blood on his hands."

She said on Twitter: "His demise should be applauded by all who seek peace and justice. Proud of President Trump for doing the strong and right thing."

Senator James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "America does not and should not seek war, but it will respond in kind to those who threaten our citizens, soldiers and friends – as the President has long promised. De-escalation is preferable and possible – but only if our adversaries choose it."

On the other side of the political aisle, however, the US strike was met with condemnation and reservation.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders released a statement saying, "Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the administration conducted the airstrike without consultation of Congress or authorization for use of military force against Iran. She said it "risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence."

Former US Vice President Joe Biden call the assassination "a hugely escalatory move in an already dangerous region ... President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond."

US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said: "Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict. Our priority must be to avoid another costly war."

US Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said while Soleimani was "an enemy of the United States," the killing could put more Americans at risk.

"One reason we don't generally [assassinate] foreign political officials is the belief that such action will get more, not less, Americans killed," Murphy said on Twitter.

"That should be our real, pressing and grave worry tonight."

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"The possessor of real nukes cries wolf," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet, a reference to Israel's own presumed nuclear arsenal.

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On Monday, Netanyahu said that Tehran had been developing nuclear weapons at a secret site in Abadeh in Iran but had destroyed the facility after learning it had been exposed.

Zarif said in a tweet: "He & #B_Team just want a war, no matter innocent blood & another $7 TRILLION."

The Iranian foreign minister has in the past said that a so-called "B-team" including US President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton, Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could goad the US president into a conflict with Tehran.

Netanyahu revealed on Monday that Iran was apparently in violation of its nuclear obligations, saying it had a "nuclear weapons development site" south of Isfahan.

Netanyahu said that the site, in Abadeh, was uncovered in the nuclear archives that Israel seized in a secret mission.

"In this site, Iran conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons," he said. "When they realized we uncovered this site, they destroyed it; they wiped it out. When they realized we were onto them, they tried to destroy the evidence," he continued.

He then sent "the tyrants of Tehran" a stern warning: "We know what you are doing; Israel knows when you are doing it, and Israel knows where you are doing it. We will continue to expose your lies; what we see is a consistent pattern of Iranian lies, deception, and violations."

He also spoke about the "atomic nuclear warehouse" that Iran had just outside Tehran, a day after nuclear inspectors confirmed it was indeed an undeclared site that contained radioactive material.

"A year ago I exposed Iran's secret atomic warehouse, they [Iran] said that it was a carpet cleaning facility," Netanyahu said. He then showed imagery attesting to the Iranian activity following the exposure.

"They put gravel on it to hide traces, but the International Atomic Energy Agency [the nuclear watchdog] found traces of uranium, that is a direct violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," he said.

He said that the only way "to stop Iran from getting the bomb is pressure, pressure and more pressure."

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In a letter to Guterres, Iran's UN Ambassador Majid Takht-Ravanchi accused the United States of a "brazen violation of the fundamental principles of international law" and urged the international community to condemn the US behavior.

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"Coercing nations into complying with the United States' illegal demands threatens multilateralism, as the foundation of international relations, and sets a dangerous precedent, paving the way for those who aspire to rather divide, not unite nations," he wrote.

Ravanchi asked Guterres to "to play your active role in preserving the integrity of the United Nations in line with your responsibility to counter the current dangerous trend."

It is not clear, however, what Guterres could do in response to the Iranians.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric declined to comment on the letter. When asked about the US sanctioning of Zarif, Guterres told reporters on Thursday: "When I ask for maximum restraint, I ask for maximum restraint at all levels."

The US sanctions imposed on Zarif last week would block any property or interests he has in the United States, but the foreign minister said he had none.

"The illegal imposition of sanctions on the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran also violates the principle of sovereign equality of States," Ravanchi said.

The United States also imposed unusually tight travel restrictions on Zarif when he visited New York last month to speak at a UN meeting. He was only able to travel between the United Nations, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador's residence, and John F. Kennedy airport.

The newest sanctions on Zarif were imposed two weeks after he visited New York. Zarif posted on Twitter on Monday that he believed the United States was not interested in talks with Tehran and instead wanted Iran's submission.

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According to The New Yorker, the invitation was delivered by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during a meeting with Zarif in New York on July 15.

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Trump reportedly signed off on the diplomatic overture on July 14 while playing golf with the senator, who worked with the State Department and the White House for weeks trying to arrange a meeting between the two.

Zarif, who was in Manhattan for a series of meetings at the United Nations, reportedly told Paul he could not unilaterally accept the White House invitation without first consulting with Tehran.

Zarif later told the magazine he was not interested in attending a White House meeting that yielded nothing more than a photo op and a statement, The New Yorker said.

Trump has publicly reiterated his willingness to hold talks with the Iranians even as he lambastes Tehran as a corrupt, incompetent and dangerous regime that threatens regional security and US interests.

Trump pulled the US out of an international accord designed to curb Iran's nuclear program last year, and has since reimposed sanctions on Iran, even slapping them on Zarif personally last week, in an effort to force it to renegotiate the agreement.

Tensions soared in the Persian Gulf in June and July amid a series of attacks on oil tankers and Iran's downing of an unmanned US surveillance drone .

Trump has said the attack on the US drone prompted him to order a military strike in response, only to call it off at the last minute.

A White House spokesperson declined to provide comment on the invitation to The New Yorker.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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Iran has repeatedly said it will reduce its commitment to the nuclear accord in stages and may even withdrew from the pact altogether unless the remaining signatories find ways to shield its economy from US sanctions. Washington pulled out of the deal last year.

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"The third step in reducing commitments to [the nuclear deal] will be implemented in the current situation," he said.

"We have said that if [the deal] is not completely implemented by others then we will also implement it in the same incomplete manner. And of course, all of our actions have been within the framework of [the deal]."

Last month, Iran threatened to restart deactivated centrifuges and ramp up enrichment of uranium to 20% purity in a move away from the nuclear deal.

Iranian officials have said that all of Tehran's moves in reducing its commitments to the nuclear deal are reversible as long as the remaining signatories uphold their commitments.

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Zarif himself, blocking any property or interests he has in the United States, although Zarif said he had none.

He added at a charity event on Friday night that he is proud to be sanctioned by America for defending the rights of the Iranian people, the IRIB news agency reported.

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Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei announced on Sunday that Tehran had accepted Pompeo's offer to "tell the truth to the Iranian people," according to a research team at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

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Tehran, however, conditioned the interview on it being conducted by Marzieh Hashemi, a prominent American anchorwoman on Iranian state television who converted to Islam.

Born Melanie Franklin, Hashemi gained international attention when she was arrested by the FBI during a visit to the US in January, where she was held as a material witness. She was later released.

Hashemi, 59, has lived in Tehran for the past 10 years. Due to her passion for defending the Shiite Republic, she was promoted to anchorwoman at Press TV, Iran's English-language broadcaster responsible for disseminating regime propaganda around the world.

Hashem has called Iran a "center of resistance" and has spoken out against Iranian citizens that "do not appreciate the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic." She has further said he is willing to "sacrifice her soul" for the Iranian regime because it represents true Islam.

In response to Pompeo's remarks, an Iranian government spokesperson said, "Iran does not run away from listening to talk, despite the conduct and treatment of the Americans of Iranian journalists in the United States [which shows] a lack of respect for the media and dialogue between the [two] peoples.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif held a series of interviews with American media outlets while in New York to attend a conference of the United Nations earlier this month.

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London described the seizure of the Stena Impero as "state piracy" and on Monday called for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Speaking in Nicaragua, Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said Iran had taken measures against the ship to implement international law, not in retaliation for the British capture of an Iranian tanker two weeks earlier in Gibraltar.

"Starting a conflict is easy, ending it would be impossible," Zarif told reporters after meeting his Nicaraguan counterpart.

"It's important for everybody to realize, it's important for Boris Johnson to understand, that Iran does not seek confrontation," he said, referring to the front-runner to become Britain's new prime minister.

"Iran wants to have normal relations based on mutual respect," he added.

Zarif said Iran acted when it observed that the UK ship did not follow regulations.

"The UK ship had turned down its signal for more time than it was allowed to [and] was passing through the wrong channel, endangering the safety and security of shipping and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, for which we are responsible," Zarif said.

In contrast, he described the seizure of the Iranian ship as "piracy" and "violation of international law" by British and Gibraltar authorities.

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The diplomats are subject to the same rules imposed by the United States on Zarif, who arrived in New York on Sunday amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

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They may only travel between the United Nations, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador's residence and John F. Kennedy airport. There is also a carve-out for the six blocks surrounding Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City in the borough of Queens, though it was not immediately clear why.

"It is certainly not a friendly action. It puts the members of the mission and their families under basically inhuman conditions. But for me it's fine because I don't have any work anywhere other than the three buildings," Zarif told reporters at the United Nations.

Before the new rules, Iranian diplomats – like envoys of North Korea, Syria and Cuba – were already confined to a radius of 25 miles from Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan. According to the UN Blue Book, which lists diplomats of each mission to the world body, there are 13 Iranian diplomats in New York.

The United Nations said on Monday it had told the United States it was concerned by the new tight travel restrictions. A US State Department official said the United States had acted "in a manner that is fully consistent" with its obligations under a 1947 agreement with the United Nations.

"The United States is engaged in economic war against Iran," Zarif told reporters, shortly before he addressed a UN meeting on global goals to tackle issues including conflict, hunger, equality and climate change by 2030. "It targets ordinary civilians, it amounts to terrorism."

When asked what steps need to be taken to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran, Zarif said: "That has to stop. Once it stops, then other things can follow."

Zarif said that he has had "no contact with anybody in the American government" while in New York.

He also questioned efforts by France, Britain and Germany – parties to the 2015 nuclear pact – to try to salvage the deal.

"Unfortunately they're not prepared to pay anything. They're not prepared to invest for their security and at the end of the day they're allowing the United States to set the agenda," Zarif said.

"I don't know whether that's in the interests of the Europeans," he added.

Fears of direct US-Iranian conflict have risen since May with several attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, Iran's downing of a US surveillance drone, and a plan for US airstrikes on Iran last month that President Donald Trump ultimately called off.

"It is a very dangerous situation. There are a lot of naval vessels in the Persian Gulf where they shouldn't be," Zarif said.

Zarif is seen by some as a moderate face of the Iranian government and in the past worked with Washington on issues from Afghanistan to the nuclear deal.

But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that he believed that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was "calling all of the shots, 100 percent of them" on major strategic matters.

"Zarif comes around and talks about how he's the good guy. He has been the foreign minister while the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken every action we've seen and he is equally responsible for those activities," Pompeo told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to rebuke claims made by Donald Trump on Wednesday about the likelihood of the two countries going to war.

"Sanctions aren't alternatives to war," Zarif said in the tweet addressed to the US President, "they ARE war."

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He added that, unlike the White House's assessment, a "short war" between Washington and Tehran was an "illusion."

This is the latest instance of the war of words that has taken place between the two powers, with each day bringing a harvest of declarations, ranging from gung-ho, all out demands for regime change, to invitations to talk.

At the moment, much seems to be happening behind closed doors, with the effectiveness of further sanctions that were called for earlier this week yet to be determined.

Iran's economy is flagging, but the country has yet to see the popular uprisings that seemed to be an integral part of the US strategy. Trump went to great lengths to say that the conflict was with the regime alone, and not with regular Iranians.

Earlier this week, Zarif also praised Iran's greatest resource, the "Iranian people" and their "ability for sacrifice and martyrdom."

Despite heightened tensions, many in the region do not seem to believe there will be an actual armed confrontation between the US and Iran, with Iran's regional clout and complex financial networks a difficult target for US pressure.

Acting US Defense Secretary Mark Esper appealed to NATO allies on Thursday to publicly denounce Iran's hostile actions and consider participating in a still-evolving plan to better safeguard strategic waterways around the Strait of Hormuz.

Esper, at NATO headquarters in his international debut as Pentagon chief, also called for help moving tensions with Iran away from a military path – which included Iran's downing of a US drone last week and an aborted US military response – toward a more diplomatic one.

"I discussed the need to internationalize this issue by encouraging NATO allies and regional partners to voice their opposition to Iran's bad behavior and to help us deter further provocative acts by improving maritime security," Esper told reporters after the closed-door discussions.

US President Donald Trump's last-minute decision to call off planned strikes on Iran last week was the culmination of weeks of building military tensions. Washington also said that Iran was behind attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, which Tehran vehemently denies.

Washington's European allies, critical of Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, have reacted with alarm in recent weeks, repeatedly warning both sides that a small mistake could lead to war.

The European allies told the gathering they wanted to see the US and Iran de-escalate tensions, adding they would support all diplomatic efforts to do so, diplomats said.

On Tuesday, Trump threatened the "obliteration" of parts of Iran if it struck US interests. President Hassan Rouhani called White House policy "mentally retarded."

Esper said Washington was not looking for a war and instead sought European support for diplomacy.

"We do not seek armed conflict with Iran but we are ready to defend US forces and interests in the region. No one should mistake restraint for weakness," Esper told reporters.

A NATO role in crisis?

Many allies supported Esper's overall message at the NATO gathering, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But France voiced concerns in the closed-door session about any possibility of a formal NATO role in the Iran crisis, a NATO diplomat said. French officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Germany underscored the importance of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with major world partners, calling it "the only thing we have," the diplomat said.

Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that Iran was on course to breach a threshold in its nuclear agreement with world powers within days by accumulating more enriched uranium than permitted, although it has not done so yet, diplomats said, citing the latest data from UN inspectors.

Esper said no NATO allies made any contributions on Thursday but noted that it was still "early days" as the United States develops options to deter potential attacks on commercial shipping. A NATO diplomat said no specific requests were made.

Washington was looking at options including broader maritime surveillance, as well as setting up a "picket-line of ships" to protect the international waterways, Esper told reporters. Escorts for ships also are an option.

"We have to flesh that out on our end and we'll see what makes most sense," Esper said.

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