Iran foreign minister says U.S. sanctioned him because he is a "threat" to its agenda

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Wednesday that the United States sanctioned him because he is a threat to its agenda.

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Zarif, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said on its website.

"The US' reason for designating me is that I am Iran's 'primary spokesperson around the world'," he wrote. "Is the truth really that painful? It has no effect on me or my family, as I have no property or interests outside of Iran. Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda." (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)