TEHRAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday condemned fresh U.S. sanctions targeting several individuals, vessels, and companies linked to Iran's oil exports.
The ministry said the move comes a day after the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad as well as several companies and vessels tied to the "shadow fleet" used to circumvent sanctions.
Baghaei dismissed U.S. claims of readiness to negotiate with Tehran, saying the sanctions prove Washington's hostility toward Iran's development and welfare.
He said Iran would hold the U.S. government accountable for the fallout from what he described as unilateral and illegitimate measures, adding that the move violated international law.
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Iran to negotiate over its nuclear program while keeping in place sanctions reimposed after the U.S. exited the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.
In July 2015, Tehran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
After the U.S. withdrawal and the reinstatement of sanctions in May 2018, Iran scaled back some of its nuclear commitments, and efforts to revive the deal have stalled, with Iranian officials insisting that negotiations cannot proceed under continued sanctions pressure. ■
