Iran’s Response to New US Sanctions
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson described new sanctions against Iran as “contradictory to claimed seriousness and good faith.” These sanctions were imposed following the presentation of two Iranian draft proposals in the continuation of JCPOA negotiations.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, immediately responded to the announcement of US sanctions against Iran and posted a tweet stating that America continues to impose sanctions against Iran even in the middle of Vienna talks.
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In his tweet, Khatibzadeh wrote, “Washington is unable to understand that the campaigns of ‘maximum pressure’ and ‘diplomatic opening’ are contradictory to each other, and ‘escalating sanctions are in contradiction with claimed seriousness and good faith.'”
The United States on Tuesday, December 7 (December 16 in the Persian calendar), sanctioned eight individuals and four institutions, including a special unit of the police and the Revolutionary Guards’ special forces in the province, for human rights violations and suppression of protesters.
The new sanctions were imposed while senior Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that their main objective in participating in JCPOA negotiations in Vienna is the removal of sanctions.
Ali Bahadori Jahromi, spokesperson for Iran’s government, said in the “Tonight’s Headline” program on the news network that the Iranian government is “seriously pursuing the nullification of sanctions.”
The government spokesperson did not provide further explanation regarding how the Raisi administration is striving to “lift sanctions.” He further stated: “The government is pursuing various solutions to circumvent sanctions.”
Earlier, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, said regarding the ongoing Vienna negotiations that the Islamic Republic is serious in these talks and the definite effort of the negotiating delegation is the cancellation of sanctions imposed against Iran.
He did not provide clarification on what Iran has done or will do to lift sanctions.
The Iranian delegation in Vienna presented two draft proposals to nuclear agreement negotiators.
Western countries present in the Vienna negotiations, including Germany, said Iran’s proposals violated previous agreements and “leave no room” for a successful conclusion of negotiations.
Source: DW
