WANA (Feb 07) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the U.S. decision to impose new sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

Ismail Baghaei, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, denounced the U.S. government’s sanctions against a group of individuals and entities accused of being involved in the sale of Iranian crude oil. He called the move completely unjustified and in violation of international rules and regulations.

 

The spokesperson emphasized that the new U.S. administration’s decision to pressure the Iranian nation by preventing Iran from conducting legal trade with its economic partners is an illegitimate, unlawful, and rogue action that entails international responsibility for the U.S. government. The Islamic Republic of Iran holds the U.S. accountable for the consequences of such unilateral and bullying measures.

 

U.S. Treasury’s Justification

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, under the administration of Donald Trump, claimed that it was targeting a network that generates hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s military.

 

In a statement, the U.S. Treasury announced: “Today, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to China. This oil was sold on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and its sanctioned company, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars (Sepehr Energy). The sanctions include entities and individuals across multiple jurisdictions, including China, India, and the UAE, as well as several vessels.”

 

The U.S. Treasury further alleged: “Iran generates billions of dollars annually from oil sales to finance its destabilizing regional activities and support several regional terrorist groups, including Hamas, the Houthis (Ansarullah of Yemen), and Hezbollah. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff utilizes a network of companies and foreign intermediaries to facilitate these oil sales and shipments.”

 

Scott Bassett, a U.S. Treasury official, also claimed: “The Iranian regime continues to use its oil revenue to finance the development of its nuclear program, produce deadly ballistic missiles and drones, and support its regional terrorist proxies. The U.S. remains committed to aggressively targeting any Iranian attempts to fund these malign activities.”