Tehran, April 23 (EFE).- Tehran on Wednesday condemned new United States sanctions on Iran’s energy industry, saying they contradict Washington’s claims of its willingness to negotiate, and demonstrate a “lack of good will and seriousness.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei described “the continued application of sanctions on various sectors of Iran’s economy and trade as an unlawful and bullying act, openly contradicting America’s claims of dialogue and negotiation. He asserted that this demonstrates a lack of goodwill and seriousness on the part of the US,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The structural reliance of US istrations on economic sanctions against developing countries, as a tool of intimidation and political pressure, violates fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law,” Baghaei said.
The diplomat added that Washington’s actions “carry international ability for the US government, which must be held responsible for the grave human rights violations arising from such criminal acts.”
The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions against Iranian LPG magnate Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network, which the Treasury said are collectively responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets.
After his return to the White House, US President Donald Trump has reinstated the so-called “maximum pressure” policy against Iran and has so far announced seven rounds of sanctions to halt the sale of Iranian crude oil.
At the same time, Iran and the US have held two rounds of talks seeking a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, which both sides described as constructive, and will meet for a third time on Saturday.
During his first term, Trump pulled the US from the 2015 nuclear pact signed between Iran and six Western powers, which limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
Since the US withdrawal, Iran has significantly ramped up its uranium enrichment, now stockpiling 274 kilograms enriched to 60 percent fissile purity, short of the 90-percent level needed for weapons-grade material, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. EFE
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