Spokesman: US Sanctions Not to Change Iran’s N. Stance
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Araqchi condemned the United States for imposing a new round of sanctions against Iran, and said the bans will not affect his country’s firm stance to maintain nuclear rights.
The Iranian official on Thursday described new round of sanctions imposed by the US against Iran as “futile”, adding that such bans will not bring about any change in the Islamic Republic’s fundamental positions.
Araqchi’s remarks came a day after the US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill to impose tougher sanctions against Iran’s oil exports and other economic sectors.
The bill also blacklists any business in Iran’s mining and construction sectors and commits the United States to the goal of ending all Iranian oil sales worldwide by 2015.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman further slammed the US decision as a “wrong move at the wrong time”, saying, “The only impact the imposition of sanctions will have is to further complicate the settlement of the existing issues.”
The US has imposed several rounds of illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran, which Washington claims to be aimed at pressuring Tehran to abandon its nuclear energy program.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of potentially pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Tehran has categorically rejected the accusation, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
