Tehran, April 23 Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday strongly condemned US fresh sanctions on a number of individuals and entities linked with the Iranian energy, oil, and gas sectors, as well as people involved in the country's "peaceful" nuclear programme.
Baghaei made the remarks in a statement released by the Ministry a day after the US issued the new sanctions targeting individuals and entities for their role in exporting Iran's liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil to foreign markets, Xinhua news agency reported.
Baghaei said the US policy of imposing sanctions on the Iranian nation was a "clear indication of the American policymakers' hostile approach towards Iran's people and disregard for the rule of law and human rights".
He added, "The US administrations' structural dependence on imposing economic sanctions on developing countries as a tool of intimidation and political pressure violates the fundamental principles and regulations of the United Nations Charter and international law."
He noted that imposing sanctions on Iran's different economic and trade sectors was a "bullying and illegal move, which is in explicit contradiction with the US claim of favouring dialogue and negotiations and indicative of Washington's lack of goodwill and seriousness in that regard.
The sanctions against Iran's economic and trade sectors are bullying and illegal measures that are in direct contradiction to the US' claim to be pursuing dialogue and negotiations and also indicate the US' lack of goodwill and seriousness, he said.
The spokesman held the US internationally accountable for imposing unilateral sanctions against the Iranian nation, saying Washington is held culpable for the egregious violations of human rights in the wake of its criminal measures.
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on April 22 designated Iranian national Seyed Asadollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network for their alleged role in shipping Iranian liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and crude oil to foreign markets.
The US has also designated Iranian national Meisam Emamjomeh.
The new sanctions are the seventh such action taken by the US government against Iran since February 4, when US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The fresh US sanctions came despite the ongoing Oman-mediated indirect talks between Iran and the US.
The first round was held in Muscat on April 12, and the second in Rome on Saturday.
The third round is scheduled to take place in Oman this Saturday.
--IANS
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