Accusing the Trump administration of "economic terrorism," Iran's foreign ministry said Saturday that the latest sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump demonstrate that the U.S. is not serious about pursuing negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear power.
Trump announced the newest round of sanctions on Friday to punish Iran's largest petrochemical company for its indirect support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Trump administration labeled the IRGC as a terrorist group in April.
"This measure by the United States contravenes the basic principles and regulations of international relations and law as well as the U.S. regime’s international commitments."
—Abbas Mousavi, Iranian Foreign Ministry
The sanctions came just days after the administration indicated it wanted to pursue negotiations to reach a new deal on Iran's nuclear activity.
"It was only necessary to wait one week until the claim of the president of America about talks with Iran were proven to be hollow," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to Reuters. "The American policy of maximum pressure is a defeated policy."
The sanctions were announced about a month after the administration sent an aircraft carrier, missiles, and B-52 bombers to Iran in an apparent show of force.
Over the objections of a number of U.S. allies, Trump withdrew last year from the Iran nuclear deal which was brokered by the Obama administration and has since imposed sanctions on its oil, shipping, banking, and other industries in an effort to stop other countries from trading with Iran and to force Tehran to comply with Trump's demand that it end its nuclear and ballistic programs.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and international investigators found several times when the deal was in place that the country was in compliance with the agreement.
Mousavi called Trump's sanctions and his claim that he wants Iran to return to the negotiating table "deceitful."
"This measure by the United States contravenes the basic principles and regulations of international relations and law as well as the U.S. regime's international commitments," Mousavi told Tasnim News Agency, "and will result in international accountability."
