Iran slams new US sanctions as "assault on national dignity"

Iran has strongly criticised a new round of US sanctions targeting its energy and oil sectors, describing them as a direct assault on the Iranian people and their national pride.

In a statement issued on July 31, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the measures—aimed at 115 individuals, entities, and vessels—reflected Washington’s enduring hostility towards the Islamic Republic, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

“These sanctions are a clear indication of American enmity towards the Iranian nation,” Baghaei said, accusing the US of seeking to derail Iran’s development, stir internal unrest, and weaken the economic well-being of ordinary citizens.

He argued that such pressure tactics have been a hallmark of US policy towards Iran for more than 70 years, and accused Washington of supporting what he called the Israeli regime’s “unprovoked war” on Iran last month.

Baghaei also condemned what he termed the United States’ “chronic addiction” to unilateralism and coercive measures, which he said violated international law, human rights norms, and the principles of free trade between sovereign nations.

He called for international mechanisms to hold the US accountable and reaffirmed Iran’s determination to protect its sovereignty and advance national interests.

“The Iranian people, fully aware of the malicious intent behind these sanctions, will stand firm to defend their dignity and rights,” he said.

On July 30,  2025, the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled its largest Iran-related sanctions package since 2018, targeting over 115 individuals, firms, and vessels tied to a vast international shipping network allegedly controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani—son of a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader.

The sanctions freeze U.S. assets and bar access to the American financial system, affecting 15 shipping companies, 52 vessels, and dozens of individuals across more than 17 countries, including Italy, the UK, Switzerland, Panama, the UAE, and Hong Kong.

U.S. officials say Shamkhani’s network facilitated the sale and transport of Iranian (and Russian) oil largely destined for China, using aliases, shell companies, and front firms to launder tens of billions of dollars in proceeds funding Iran’s nuclear, missile, and proxy operations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev