Iran: New US sanctions are ‘economic terrorism, crime against humanity’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has described the new and sweeping package of sanctions imposed by the US administration on Iran as “economic terrorism and a crime against humanity”.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry criticised the new US sanctions against Tehran.

It said Washington had chosen to impose the sanctions to coincide with the anniversary of the 1953 coup in Iran, which was carried out with US and British involvement, describing the move as an extension of “Washington’s 73-year-long hostility towards the Iranian people”.

The statement said that the comprehensive economic and trade sanctions that the United States imposes on Iran “target the basic human rights of Iranian citizens”, describing them as “economic terrorism and a crime against humanity”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry added that the wars waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as their attempts to force Tehran to comply with their demands, had failed.

It stressed that such efforts would not affect the Iranian people’s determination to “preserve their independence, dignity and national sovereignty”.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that his country is preparing to impose new and “strong” sanctions on Iran.