![](\"https:\/\/cdni.rt.com\/files\/2018.09\/thumbnail\/5babfc9efc7e9385648b45be.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley\u2019s assertion that Iran is the \u201cbiggest issue\u201d for the US today is ridiculous and Washington has much bigger foreign and domestic issues to be worried about, experts told RT.<\/p>\n
In an interview with the Fox & Friends morning show, Haley said that Americans \u201cdo need to be worried about Iran\u201d<\/em> because the country is \u201cconstantly in the middle of trouble\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n But former US diplomat Jim Jatras believes any claims that Iran was the US\u2019s biggest problem are \u201cridiculous\u201d<\/em> and that Iran has \u201cno real relationship to US national interests at all\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor of North American Studies at the University of Tehran, told RT that if Iran really is the Trump administration’s biggest issue, it shows that the US “doesn’t understand its own priorities.”<\/em><\/p>\n Jatras said it was unfortunate that US President Donald Trump had \u201csurrounded himself\u201d<\/em> with neoconservatives and people from previous administrations \u2014 and that instead of conducting his promised \u201cAmerica First\u201d foreign policy, he was running an \u201cIsrael and Saudi Arabia First\u201d foreign policy.<\/p>\n Haley also told Fox & Friends that European countries, which have reaffirmed their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal which Trump scrapped earlier this year, are \u201cso wrong\u201d<\/em> and that is is all down to their \u201cego and pride\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n European countries have come up with a new \u201cspecial purpose vehicle\u201d<\/em> (SPV) \u2014 a mechanism<\/a> which aims to help European companies avoid potential US sanctions if they do business in Iran after Trump reintroduced economic sanctions on Tehran earlier this year.<\/p>\n Asked about Brussels\u2019 so-called ego and pride, Jatras said that any mechanism the EU comes up with is \u201conly as good as European courage and willingness to stand up against Washington, which I consider to be at best questionable\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0\u2018Sanctions are weapon of war\u2019: Pompeo\u2019s speech at anti-Iran group interrupted by protesters (VIDEO)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Jatras maintains that \u201call it would take\u201d<\/em> was the US Treasury Department to sanction the new EU mechanism before Europeans would \u201ccollapse like a house of cards\u201d<\/em> and bow to US demands. \u201cI wish the europeans had some ego and pride, but they don\u2019t, they\u2019re worthless and weak,\u201d<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n Marandi, on the other had, said the US was acting like a \u201crogue regime\u201d<\/em> and an “arrogant power\u201d<\/em> by dictating terms to the Europeans, telling them what they can and cannot do. \u201c[The US] has no respect for Europe, it has no respect for European countries, it has no respect for European companies, nor European citizens,\u201d<\/em> he said. Trump, he added, is \u201cbehaving like some kind of Godfather, where he expects countries to abide by his demands and if not they’ll be punished.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In the Fox interview, Haley also hit out at former Secretary of State John Kerry who has said that he stayed in touch with Iran’s foreign minister, calling the admission \u201canti-American\u201d<\/em> and hurtful to the country.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0Iran tells Trump to stop \u2018disruptive interference\u2019 in Middle East if he wants cheaper oil<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Jatras agreed that Kerry\u2019s activities are \u201cquestionable\u201d<\/em> and that a former Secretary of State should not be carrying out his own foreign policy, regardless of what the current administration\u2019s policy is.<\/p>\n Haley also claimed that world leaders laughed<\/a> during Trump\u2019s speech at the UN this week out of \u201crespect\u201d<\/em> for how \u201chonest\u201d<\/em> he is.<\/p>\n WOW! The UN audience laughs at Trump after he claims, “my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.” pic.twitter.com\/tXg50ejQqy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n If you like this story, share it with a friend!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n