Iran slams new US sanctions as "completely contradictory behavior"

Iran slammed on Friday evening the latest U.S. sanctions against its entities as "completely contradictory behaviour".

"A government that talks about an intention of returning to the nuclear deal but continues (former U.S. President Donald) Trump's policy of sanctions is sending the message that it really is not reliable," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh said in remarks published on the Ministry's official website.

Successive U.S. administrations, he added, have shown their "incapacity" to understand Iran's realities, Xinhua news agency reported.

U.S. pressure will not inflict "the slightest damage" on the Iranian government's determination to defend the security and tranquillity of Iran's people, the Spokesman said.

Earlier on Friday, the United States imposed sanctions against companies and individuals related to Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.

"Iran's proliferation of UAVs across the region threatens international peace and stability. Iran and its proxy militants have used UAVs to attack U.S. forces, our partners, and international shipping," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Wally Adeyemo.

The new ban against Iran came after Iran's nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani said on Wednesday that Tehran has agreed to resume the long-halted negotiations aimed at the revival of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by the end of November.

The Trump administration pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed old and new sanctions on Iran despite the fact that Tehran had been complying with the international accord.

In response, Iran has gradually dropped some of its commitments under the pact by increasing the stockpile and purity of its uranium enrichment and installing advanced centrifuges.

Six rounds of talks, with regard to a strict monitoring of Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions on Iran, were held in Austria's capital Vienna between April and July this year, but were interrupted by Iran's government transition.

--IANS

int/khz/