Iran accuses US of duplicity after new sanctions

Iran today accused the United States of duplicity for imposing new sanctions on organisations linked to Tehran's nuclear programme, despite long-running but active negotiations to end the standoff.
Washington's actions are an act of bad faith, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on state television, in what was the country's first official reaction to US Treasury's latest measures.
"The duplicity of the Americans is totally unacceptable," said Takht-Ravanchi, a key member of the Iranian team that for almost one year has been talking to the West about a nuclear settlement.
"You cannot on the one hand say that you are negotiating with goodwill and then at the same time use such means," he added.

Iran's foreign ministry later said the new sanctions -- on entities America said had either supported terrorism or evaded existing sanctions -- were contrary to US commitments under an interim deal.
"These actions cast doubt on the sincerity, seriousness and goodwill of the United States," ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

She was referring to the Geneva accord under which the US and other world powers agreed in November to relieve some penalties on Iran in exchange for curbs on the latter's nuclear activities.
The US Treasury yesterday announced dozens of measures targeting individuals and entities, including shipping and oil companies, banks and airlines.

Asia Bank, one of the banks, has provided US dollar bank notes to Iran, including a mid-2014 delivery from Moscow to Tehran of more than USD 13 million, in violation of American sanctions, it said.
Tehran also used Iranian government-owned airline Meraj Air and Iran-based Caspian Air to ferry illicit cargo, including weapons, to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to the Treasury.
The White House's National Security Council said that despite the additional measures, the US remained committed to working toward a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme.
Tehran denies the West's allegations that it aims to develop nuclear weapons but the two sides in the negotiations are split on how much uranium enrichment Iran should be allowed to carry out.