Tehran Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has severely denounced new US sanctions on Iranian and foreign persons and organizations under the guise of collaborating with Tehran in various fields, describing them as an obvious indication of US efforts at “economic terrorism.”

 

Baghaei said in a statement Thursday that the sanctions imposed in recent days were a clear indication of US policymakers’ insistence on breaking the law and violating the rights and interests of other nations, as well as their attempts to use economic terrorism to sabotage amicable and lawful relations among developing states.

They’re “another conspicuous proof of the US decision makers’ contradictory approach and lack of goodwill and seriousness in advancing the path of diplomacy,” he said.

Baghaei was responding to the sanctions the US Treasury Department and State Department imposed on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, on six Iranian citizens and 13 organizations in Iran and other nations for allegedly engaging in the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals and the purchase of ingredients for ballistic missile propellant on behalf of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps of Iran, according to Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, the United States said that it was enforcing sanctions on five foreign-based businesses that sold Iranian oil.

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, stated: “So long as Iran attempts to generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund its destabilising activities, and support its terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will take steps to hold both Iran and all its partners engaged in sanctions evasion accountable.”

The action was taken ahead of a fourth round of Iran-US negotiations in Rome on Saturday, where Tehran is requesting sanctions to be lifted in exchange for nuclear program reductions.

Similar to his first term, US President Donald Trump has called for discussion while resuming his campaign of “maximum pressure” on Iran since taking office again in January.

He urged negotiations and threatened military action if Iran refused in a letter he delivered in March to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, who has the last word on important state matters.

Trump reimposed harsh penalties and removed the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and other powers during his first term, which caused the Islamic Republic to renounce its promises.

It happened when the fourth session of indirect negotiations between the US and Iran, mediated by Oman, was postponed from its intended Saturday date in Rome.