美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Engagement Is Losing Credibility': Iranian Foreign Minister

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The United States maintains it destroyed an Iranian drone yesterday. This happened over the water near the entrance to the Persian Gulf¹. First, word of it came from President Trump², who said the Iranian aircraft flew too near a U.S. warship³.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This is the latest of many provocative⁴ and hostile actions by Iran against vessels⁵ operating in international waters.

INSKEEP: In response to this statement, Iran has effectively said, what drone? It says its unmanned aircraft returned safely yesterday. NPR's Jackie Northam is here to work us through this story.

Hi, Jackie.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE⁶: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: Starting with the U.S. side, what details does the U.S. offer for its claim?

NORTHAM: Well, the U.S. says one of its amphibious assault ships, the USS Boxer⁷, was moving into the Strait of Hormuz when an Iranian drone flew within about a thousand yards of it. The crew of the Boxer alerted the drone several times to stand down, and then it destroyed it.

There were no casualties, Steve. But you know, this incident has added to the escalating⁸ tension in the Gulf region. You know, this is a very heavily traveled waterway; about 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. And there have been a number of confrontations¹⁰ recently. If you recall, about a month ago, Iran shot down a U.S. drone. Trump ordered a military strike in retaliation¹¹, but then called it off at the last minute.

And Washington blames Iran for attacking several other tankers¹³ recently. Just last week - pardon me - the - there was a tense standoff between the British navy and some Iranian vessels. And you know, just hours before the Boxer destroyed the drone, Iran announced it had seized a small tanker¹² it said was smuggling¹⁴ Iranian oil. So there's a lot going on.

INSKEEP: Yeah, absolutely a lot going on. But then there's this U.S. report of shooting down an Iranian drone. What is Iran's very different version of events?

NORTHAM: Well, Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was at the United Nations in New York yesterday, and he said he had no information about losing a drone. Iran's top military spokesman said all of the country's drones had returned safely to base. Its deputy foreign minister tweeted that Iran had not lost a drone in the Strait of Hormuz or anywhere else and that it was worried the U.S. had shot down one of its own drones by mistake. The Revolutionary Guard says it'll provide images that will disprove the U.S. destroyed one of its drones. So basically, Steve, Iran denies the U.S. claims.

INSKEEP: Anybody trying to deescalate this situation? Somebody's shooting at something.

NORTHAM: No, not yet. There have been calls for a restraint, but there are real concerns that things could continue to escalate¹⁵. The U.S. has increased its military presence in the region. And today, U.S. officials say they'll be briefing foreign diplomats¹⁷ about a plan for maritime¹⁸ security, providing protection for ships in the region. The administration wants other countries to join. But you know, those countries have been hesitant. And one analyst¹⁹ told me that many allies don't trust what the U.S. is doing. They think the decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran was wrong.

INSKEEP: OK. NPR's Jackie Northam. Stay with us, please, because we're going to hear an Iranian view of the wider confrontation⁹ here.

We've been hearing it from Iran's foreign minister, who you mentioned. He is in New York. Mohammad Javad Zarif is his name. He dresses in the style of Iranian officials - dark blazer, no tie. And yesterday, he arranged to meet a group of journalists who have long covered Iran. He sat at the head of a conference table. And sitting there, he denounced the U.S. drive to block Iran's most vital export.

MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF: Now you say we cannot sell oil. Can a country whose economy depends on oil - unfortunately - not sell oil and feed its population? We need $14 billion a year to buy food and medicine for our population. The United States is trying to starve our people.

INSKEEP: Now, to be clear, U.S. sanctions on Iran do not cover food or medicine. But the sanctions are sweeping²⁰ enough to sharply raise food prices and complicate²¹ every part of the Iranian economy.

The sanctions that came along with the U.S. departure from the nuclear deal were a personal blow to Foreign Minister Zarif. When he was visiting New York a few years ago, he was seen as a man who could make Iran's case for a deal - a man who had lived in and, therefore, understood the West. He frustrated²² critics of Iran who saw him as the urbane²³ face of a harsh government.

This visit has been different. The U.S. imposed new visa restrictions²⁴ limiting Zarif's movements to only the U.N. building and Iran's two diplomatic facilities. He nevertheless managed to arrange meetings like this one and offered journalists Iran's distinct view of recent history in which the United States, not Iran, is the aggressor.

ZARIF: You do things, and then we react. And then you complain.

INSKEEP: President Trump, like President Obama before him, blames Iran for backing one side in a civil war in Yemen. Zarif blames the United States and its allies for backing the other side.

ZARIF: You complain for things that you have done. You're supporting Saudi Arabia to bomb the hell out of the Yemenis. Why do you complain against us?

INSKEEP: And here's how he described Iran's support for Shia factions²⁵ and dictators and terror groups throughout the region.

ZARIF: OK. We are involved in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq - always on the right side. But if you want to find a common denominator for malign²⁶ activity, it's not Iran - your allies.

INSKEEP: After more than an hour, the foreign minister said goodbye to most of the journalists.

ZARIF: OK. Ladies, gentlemen, thank you very much for being here.

(CROSSTALK)

INSKEEP: And he and I sat by a window for a few more questions. The truth is Foreign Minister Zarif's options are limited. The periodic missile fire around the Strait of Hormuz is one sign of that. President Trump has said he would like to negotiate with Iran but has many demands. And Iran's supreme²⁷ leader has indicated no interest in talking. Iran could wait for another U.S. president, but Zarif says he assumes Trump has a better than 50% chance of winning reelection.

Zarif did float one possible deal, although it falls far short of U.S. demands. Zarif said Iran could plausibly²⁸ speed up its planned ratification²⁹ of permanent nuclear inspections³⁰ in Iran if the United States backs off some sanctions.

ZARIF: We can do it right now in order to make sure that people can be at ease that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons.

INSKEEP: Meaning permanent inspections ratified³¹ in exchange for a permanent agreement that is ratified by the U.S. Congress.

ZARIF: In exchange for a permanent lifting of sanctions ratified by U.S. Congress - exactly as envisaged³² for 2023, we can do it now.

INSKEEP: Has that been raised with U.S. officials in any way before today?

ZARIF: Well, we're not talking to U.S. officials.

INSKEEP: There was talk in New York that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul might serve as a U.S. intermediary to Iran. Zarif would not confirm if they were meeting and said nobody can really speak for Trump anyway.

It's well-known how the United States is working to pressure Iran at the moment, steadily³³ reducing Iran's oil exports. What is Iran doing or planning to do to pressure the United States, if anything?

ZARIF: Well, what we can do is to resist U.S. sanctions. Right now our economy is suffering less than last year because the United States has continued, and we have gotten used to it. Our currency is stabilizing³⁴. The growth rate is improving. The jobless rate is improving.

INSKEEP: This is what official statistics are saying about Iran's economy. It's improved in the second quarter. But you're not on a sustainable path, are you? You can't do without oil revenues forever, can you?

ZARIF: Well, we certainly can do without oil revenues forever, and that is our goal. The United States is simply expediting it for us.

INSKEEP: Are you attempting to pressure the United States directly in some way?

ZARIF: Well, we're not attempting to pressure anybody because we simply do our job. It is clear that a country that has 1,500 miles of coastline on the Persian Gulf is instrumental for security in that region. We are the strongest country in that region. Without us, you won't have security in the region. But that's not doing something - simply omitting to do things that we have done.

INSKEEP: Have you lost some authority or credibility at home because you were so central to negotiating this nuclear agreement and it hasn't worked out - the United States pulled out?

ZARIF: Engagement has lost credibility at home. People don't look at engagement with the international community - the United States for one reason, for not keeping its word; the Europeans for another reason, for not being able to stand on their word. So yeah, engagement is losing credibility. And by extension, I'm losing credibility.

INSKEEP: I want to know how you see yourself at this moment. As you know, critics of Iran and the United States will describe you as a smooth-talking face for a radical³⁵ regime. You were also criticized at home for being too pro-Western. How would you describe yourself?

ZARIF: That's good. I'm doing my job.

INSKEEP: Which is what? How do you see it now?

ZARIF: A diplomat¹⁶ is supposed to provide an alternative to war. And that's what I'm trying to do, both at home and here.

INSKEEP: How close have you been to war, do you believe?

ZARIF: President Trump said 10 minutes.

INSKEEP: Meaning that had the president retaliated³⁶ for the shooting down of a drone some weeks ago, Iran would have not just fired back once; that would have been the beginning of a war.

ZARIF: It would have been. The United States can start a war, can't end it.

INSKEEP: What do you mean, can't end it?

ZARIF: Nobody who starts a war ends the war. That's the reality of history.

INSKEEP: I just want to understand that a little better. It is the consensus³⁷ of U.S. military thinkers that invading Iran in some way would be disastrously³⁸ expensive, extremely difficult. It's a very large country. And yet, Iran's military is not necessarily that strong. Were it to come to war, it would be immensely destructive for your country, would it not?

ZARIF: It would be. Wars are destructive for all participants and even bystanders. And it would be destructive. That's why we don't want to engage in war. But that doesn't mean that we will run away from war.

INSKEEP: Foreign minister, thank you so much.

ZARIF: Thank you, my friend.

INSKEEP: Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, speaking yesterday in New York City.

NPR's Jackie Northam is still with us. And Jackie, what do you make of the case that Zarif laid out for Iran there?

NORTHAM: Well, it struck me that Zarif makes it sound as though Iran is in a good place and can withstand the oil sanctions. But in fact, Steve, those sanctions are really hurting Iran's economy. Oil is the country's main export. And the U.S. has pressured countries around the world not to buy Iranian crude. And most countries have complied because they're afraid of facing their own U.S. sanctions, of getting knocked out of the U.S. financial system if they don't comply. Analysts³⁹ I've talked with said China and Syria are the only two countries continuing to buy Iranian oil, but it's a fraction of what Iran was selling before the U.S. reimposed sanctions.

INSKEEP: Thanks for the perspective, Jackie - really appreciate it.

NORTHAM: Thank you, Steve.

INSKEEP: That's NPR's Jackie Northam.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

4 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

5 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

8 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

9 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

10 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

11 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

13 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

14 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

15 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

16 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

17 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

19 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

20 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

21 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

22 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 urbane   

adj.温文尔雅的，懂礼的

参考例句：

• He tried hard to be urbane.他极力作出彬彬有礼的神态。
• Despite the crisis,the chairman's voice was urbane as usual.尽管处于危机之中，董事长的声音还象通常一样温文尔雅。

24 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

25 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

26 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

27 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

28 plausibly   

似真地

参考例句：

• The case was presented very plausibly. 案情的申述似很可信。
• He argued very plausibly for its acceptance. 他为使之认可辩解得头头是道。

29 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

30 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

32 envisaged   

想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He envisaged an old age of loneliness and poverty. 他面对着一个孤独而贫困的晚年。
• Henry Ford envisaged an important future for the motor car. 亨利·福特为汽车设想了一个远大前程。

33 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

34 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

35 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

36 retaliated   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When he once teased her for her inexperience, she retaliated. 有一次，他讥讽她没有经验，她便反唇相讥。 来自辞典例句
• The terrorists retaliated by killing three policemen. 恐怖分子以杀死三名警察相报复。 来自辞典例句

37 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

38 disastrously   

ad.灾难性地

参考例句：

• Their profits began to spiral down disastrously. 他们的利润开始螺旋形地急剧下降。
• The fit between the country's information needs and its information media has become disastrously disjointed. 全国的信息需求与信息传播媒介之间的配置，出现了严重的不协调。

39 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。