TABNAK, Oct, 13:  “The US is the main political sponsor and provider of weapons used in Zionist regime’s genocide in Gaza Strip and its aggression against Lebanon. The US is Zionist regime’s accomplice in committing most horrible international crimes,” he said.

He made the remarks after US has recently imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil sector under the pretext of country’s missile attack on Israeli occupied Palestinian lands.

Iran launched missile attack on Israel on October 1 to retaliate assassinations of Iranian Islamic Republic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander, Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut and Hamas Leader Ismaeil Hanieyh in Tehran as well as martyrdom of Lebanese Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut which came during Israeli airstrikes on Beirut.

Baghaei categorically condemned the US recent sanctions, calling them ‘illegal and inexcusable.’

He further reiterated that US’ resorting to the policy of threat and maximum pressure against Iranian nation would fail to affect the Islamic Republic’s will to defend its ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity and its nationals against any foreign aggression.

The US Treasury Department on Friday designated 10 companies and 17 vessels as blocked property, claiming they were involved in shipments of Iranian oil and petrochemical products. 

The department said that the sanctions are designed to intensify financial pressure on Iran, including by limiting its ability to earn the energy revenue it uses to help resistance movements across the Middle East.

The department said its sanctions targeted “a significant portion” of the shadow fleet of tankers that move Iran’s petroleum exports.

US officials separately described the measures as an attempt to disrupt revenues they claim Iran uses to fund its military activities.

Tehran says its military development program is defensive. It says the unilateral sanctions by the US are part of an economic war on the people of Iran and undermine the country’s independence.