Iran said the United States was “isolated” in its hostility to the Islamic republic on Monday, as it braced for the return of sanctions against a backdrop of political turmoil inside the country. “Of course, American bullying and political pressures may cause some disruption, but the fact is that in the current world, America is isolated,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Washington is set to reimpose sanctions on Iran on Tuesday following President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal in May — a move opposed by all other parties to the agreement. “We deeply regret the re-imposition of sanctions by the US,” said EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini in a statement jointly signed with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany. “We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran,” the statement added. But the renewed hostility has already sparked a run on Iran’s currency, which has lost around half its value since Trump’s announcement. And it has added to tensions inside Iran, which has seen days of protests and strikes in multiple towns and cities over water shortages, high prices and wider anger at the political system. Published in Daily Times, August 7th 2018.