Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday called the latest round of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic a violation of human rights and said, “The U.S. addiction to sanctions is out of control.”
Earlier this week, U.S. Treasury officials slapped sanctions on a network of some 20 Iranian corporations and financial institutions accused of having links to the Basij, a volunteer wing of the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
On Twitter late Wednesday, Mr. Zarif called Washington an “outlaw regime,” whose “hostility toward Iranians [is] heightened by addiction to sanctions.”
Mr. Zarif added that the U.S. had an “utter disregard for rule of law & human rights of an entire people” and that the “U.S. addiction to sanctions is out of control.”
Following President Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord in May, Washington has steadily restored sanctions on Tehran, with major penalties on Iran’s oil and gas industry set to start on Nov. 4.
Analysts say the tough measures have squeezed Iran’s already unstable economy, triggering sporadic protests.
Treasury officials said the latest round of penalties are aimed at disrupting financial support that goes to recruiting and training child soldiers for the IRGC.
The largest steelmaker in the Middle East and North Africa region, Mobarakeh Steel Co., is among the sanctioned entities. Reacting to the news, the firm issued a statement saying the moves would not disrupt its “production, financial activities, and exports.”
• Dan Boylan can be reached at dboylan@washingtontimes.com.
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