IRNA - Iran�s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed the US sanctioning of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying he is Iran�s powerful representative all around the world.

�Designation of Mohammad Javad Zarif, the sovereign commander of Islamic Republic of Iran�s foreign diplomacy showed that the US can�t confront the brave and zealous children of this land,� wrote Araghchi on his Instagram on Thursday.

�Zarif is the strong language of Iran�s diplomacy and represents the Islamic Republic with authority in all global and international arenas,� he added.

The US Department of the Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions against Iranian FM Zarif. Zarif brushed off the move, saying it won�t affect him as he doesn�t own any property outside Iran.

�No enemies� bullets, no sanctions, no friends� sarcasm, nothing can stop us from moving forward the national interests of this country and this nation. We stand even firmer than the past with Iran and the Revolution,� Araghchi noted.

The US Treasury claimed that Zarif implements the agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was earlier sanctioned as well.

�Everyone who knows me knows that I, or my family, do not own any property outside Iran. I personally do not even have a bank account outside Iran. Iran is my entire life and my sole commitment. So I have no personal problem with possible sanctions,� Zarif told the New York Times in an interview published on July 4.

�The only impact � and possibly the sole objective � of a possible designation would be to limit my ability to communicate. And I doubt that would serve anyone. Certainly, it would limit the possibility of informed decision making in Washington,� warned the Iranian top diplomat.

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