Annan made the remarks Tuesday in a phone interview with Associated Press reporter.
By signing a nuclear deal with six major powers and re-electing President Hassan Rouhani, Iran is trying to reach out to the world, Fox News quoted Annan as saying.
“Annan, who heads a group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela called The Elders, said if he had the chance, he would tell Trump his antagonistic policy toward Iran, including labeling it the enemy and a purveyor of terrorism, isn't going to do anything to bring peace to the Middle East.”
'Iran is part of the solution' to the conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria and Iraq, 'and we cannot get away from that fact.'
The Elders in a statement pointed to Rouhani’s re-election as indicating the fact that Iranians are willing to establish peaceful ties with the world.
“They reiterated support for the 2015 nuclear agreement with six major powers including the US and expressed hope that 'his re-election means all signatories will continue to work in good faith for its full implementation.'
Earlier Annan told Associated Press “President Donald Trump's go-it-alone foreign policy is weakening America's standing at a time of tumult.”
“Annan described Trump as 'one of this year's leaders who come into town, who come into office and believe they have all the answers.”
'Sooner or later, they go through a reality therapy and discover that it is not as simple or as easy as they thought.”
“US leadership 'is being weakened now by the statements we hear out of Washington, the uncertainty and the fact that the messages keep changing and sometimes rather fast,' said Annan, the 2001 Nobel Peace laureate.”
“And even when U.S. diplomats go around the world and make 'good sense,' he said the inevitable question will be: 'Where does your leader stand?'
