Monday, October 14, 2024 - Iran condemned Sunday what it called an "illegal and unjustified" expansion of US sanctions targeting its oil industry following Tehran's missile attack on Israel earlier this month.
In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman
Esmail Baghaei defended Iran's attack on Israel and "strongly
condemned" the sanctions, saying they were "illegal and
unjustified."
The United States on Friday slapped Iran
with a spate of new sanctions on the country's oil and petrochemical industry
in response to Tehran's October 1 attack against Israel.
Baghaei defended Iran's attack on Israel as
being legal and insisted on Iran's right to respond to the new sanctions.
The US Treasury Department said it targeted
Iran's so-called shadow fleet of ships involved in selling Iranian oil in
circumvention of existing sanctions.
It said it had designated at least 10
companies and 17 vessels as "blocked property" over their involvement
in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.
The State Department also announced it was
placing sanctions on six further firms and six ships for "knowingly
engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale,
transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran."
Baghaei said "the policy of threats
and maximum pressure" had no impact on "Iran's will to defend its
sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interests and citizens against any
violation and foreign aggressions."
He said the sanctions would enable Israel
"to continue killing innocents and pose a threat to the peace and unity of
the region and the world."
The new wave of sanctions comes as the
world awaits Israel's promised response to Tehran's missile attack, with oil
prices hitting their highest levels since August.
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden
advised Israel against targeting oil infrastructure in Iran, one of the world's
10 largest producers.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi last
Tuesday warned that "any attack against infrastructure in Iran will
provoke an even stronger response."
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