Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based International Organizations Kazem Gharibabadi said the US' imposition of sanctions on 18 Iranian banks threatens ordinary peoples' lives and Europe has a heavy responsibility in this regard.

Iran Press/Europe: In a message on his Instagram page on Friday, Gharibabadi said the US, on the one hand, claims that imports of medicine and foodstuffs are not subject to sanctions, but on the other hand, it completely blocks the existing channels for paying for the import of the items.

Stressing that Europe should not merely regret the US destructive actions, Gharibabadi pointed out that Europe has a solemn responsibility regarding its commitment to the JCPOA and confronting anti-human rights action if it is honest in its claim on advocating human rights.

His remarks came after Washington on Thursday targeted Iran’s financial sector by imposing sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, in defiance of Europe’s humanitarian objections.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) specified two of the targets as Iran’s Bank Maskan and Bank Keshavarzi. The former is relied on by the most significant part of the country’s 80-million-strong population for loans assisting them in buying houses, while the latter has the biggest stakes countrywide in the agricultural sector.

Bank Refah Kargaran, which is favored by the country’s laborers and technical workers, Bank Gharzolhasaneh Resalat, reputed for its small and low-interest loans, and entrepreneurship-focused Karafarin Bank were also among the financial institutions.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran flared in 2018 when Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA (the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

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