Press TV - Iran�s mission to the United Nations has called on the UN Security Council to condemn the recent �irresponsible� and �provocative� remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who openly threatened to �starve� Iranian people.

The call was made in a Tuesday letter, signed by Iran's�deputy ambassador to the�UN�Es'haq Al-e�Habib, to the Security Council�s president and the UN secretary general, Iran�s official news agency IRNA reported Friday.
�Such remarks are part of the US policies of exerting pressure and issuing real threats in order to wage an economic war against the people of Iran,� the letter said, slamming the move as �a collective punishment for a nation� and a �clear violation of the basic principles of international law�.
�Pompeo�s comments are another indication of the US� bullying policy, which knows no limit and principle,� the letter said, adding that the US has no hesitation in penalizing other countries when punishing the Iranian nation.

It also reiterated the fact that the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran prevents Iranian people from having access to their basic requirements, including medicine and medical equipment.

�The White House�s measures are a clear instance of crime against humanity,� it added.
�Iran has shown resistance against the US� bullying behavior and illegal measures within the past 40 years, and will manage to do so against Washington�s recent wrong policies as well,� the letter added.

The UN and its member states must condemn such bullying remarks by American officials, Iran�s mission to the UN said, urging the international community to stand against such policies, which threaten the foundations of the UN and multilateralism.

It also called on the world to hold the US accountable for such irresponsible policies and measures, and force it to remain committed to the UN�s principles and objectives.

In an interview with BBC Persian on Nov. 7, the US secretary of state said Iranian officials�must�listen to Washington "if they want their people to eat."

In reaction, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed the threat, stressing that the Islamic Republic will survive and even advance despite Washington�s sanctions.

In a post on his official Twitter account on Nov. 10, Zarif said Pompeo's open threat to starve the Iranian nation was "a crime against humanity" and "a desperate attempt to impose US whims on Iran."

The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on November 5 the re-imposition of the �toughest� sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off its oil sales and crucial exports. The bans had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).