Iran slams new US sanctions as “illegal and hypocritical”

Iran has condemned the latest US sanctions targeting Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and entities linked to its crude exports, calling them a breach of international law and a sign of Washington's hypocrisy.

In a statement issued on March 14, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghae, denounced the sanctions, which were imposed a day earlier by the US Treasury Department, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

The new restrictions include the designation of Paknejad, three Chinese-based entities involved in Iranian oil trade, and three shipping vessels as blocked property due to their involvement in oil transactions.

Baqaei argued that the sanctions are at odds with Washington’s repeated assertions of being open to dialogue with Tehran. He further stated that they highlighted the US's ongoing hostility towards Iran's economic development and its sovereignty.

“The US has become addicted to imposing sanctions on independent nations,” Baqaei commented, adding that these actions undermine international law and threaten global peace and security. “Such actions clearly violate the fundamental principles and rules of international law and free trade,” he said.

Iran’s response also included a rebuke to the US’s actions, with the Foreign Ministry holding Washington accountable for the consequences of its “unilateral and illegitimate” measures. Baqaei reaffirmed that such “unseemly” actions will not alter Iran’s resolve to protect its independence and strive for prosperity.

The Ministry of Petroleum also weighed in, asserting that the sanctions were directly aimed at Paknejad’s vital role in managing the country’s oil exports. “Sanctions against Paknejad and key oil managers, as well as companies and individuals linked to the Iranian oil industry, are designed to exert maximum pressure on Iran,” the ministry stated.

Despite the US’s continued sanctions, Iran has maintained its ability to circumvent these restrictions and persist in selling its oil on international markets through various methods.

The Treasury Department's announcement comes as part of the US’s ongoing "maximum pressure" campaign, a policy first initiated by former President Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed a series of economic sanctions on Iran.

By Aghakazim Guliyev