Why it matters:
The statement makes clear that Iran will not yield to U.S. pressure and insists on negotiations under equal terms. Tehran views the latest sanctions not as leverage but as “economic terrorism” and a sign that Washington cannot be trusted.
What he's saying:
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei: “The sanctions announced in recent days under various pretexts—targeting Iranian and non-Iranian individuals and companies—are a blatant sign of the U.S.’s ongoing violations of international norms and its efforts to disrupt legal relations between developing nations through economic terrorism.”
“These sanctions, designed within the framework of the criminal and failed ‘maximum pressure’ policy, expose Washington’s contradictory behavior and its lack of sincerity in advancing diplomacy.”
The big picture:
The comments came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on seven entities and two vessels under the pretext of being involved in Iranian oil trade.
Go deeper:
Iran and E3 to Convene in Rome Ahead of Fourth Round of Nuclear Talks With U.S.
Mojtaba Darabi
