Iran invokes Dostoevsky to slam US foreign policy

Iran Invokes Dostoevsky to Criticize US Foreign Policy

Iran has cited Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky to accuse the United States of basing its foreign policy towards Tehran and the Middle East on “lies”. The comments were made by Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who quoted a passage from Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov” on social media.

The passage, which reads “The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him,” was said by Baghaei to “aptly describe” the current state of US governance and regional foreign policy.

The remarks come as tensions between the US and Iran remain high, with the two countries deadlocked over efforts to end their months-long conflict. The dispute has led to severe disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran restricting the strategic waterway in response to US-Israeli strikes in late February and the US imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is being “very badly defeated” and described the country as “a very evil country”. He has also urged Americans to accept higher gasoline prices, arguing that it is worth preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and says that no decision has been made to resume talks with the US. The two sides are currently communicating only through intermediaries, with Trump stating that Washington is “semi-negotiating” with Tehran while continuing to exert military and economic pressure.

The control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major obstacle to a settlement, with Tehran and Washington making competing claims over the strategic waterway. The escalation of the conflict has led to a significant increase in global oil prices, which initially soared to as high as $120 a barrel.

Article and image source: iranherald.com