WANA (May 22) – A senior Iranian lawmaker has called for a military response to Washington following the U.S. Treasury’s decision to impose fresh sanctions on Iranian officials, including the Islamic Republic’s envoy to Beirut.

 

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, strongly criticized the move in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

 

“Sanctioning a Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomat means sanctioning diplomacy itself,” Rezaei wrote. “This talk of negotiation is likely a deception, and the Americans have no real desire for diplomacy.”

 

He added: “Now that they have sanctioned an Iranian diplomat, send missiles instead of diplomats to negotiate with the Devil, so they know exactly where they stand.”

 

U.S. Levels Sanctions Over Hezbollah

The lawmaker’s fiery remarks follow an announcement by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which blacklisted nine individuals. Among them is Mohammad-Reza Raouf Sheibani, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, who Washington accuses of obstructing efforts to disarm the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.

 

Tehran Condemns the Move

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement strongly condemning the U.S. measures against its ambassador, as well as several Lebanese officials and citizens.

 

Tehran characterized the sanctions as an action aimed at undermining Lebanon’s national sovereignty and sowing division within Lebanese society.