Iran MP dismisses new EU sanctions

A senior Iranian lawmaker has dismissed new EU sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, saying the approach of sanctions and resolutions has lost its effect.

“It is known to everybody who is familiar with political and international issues to some extent that the approach of resolutions and sanctions is ineffective and neutralized. And most of them (resolutions and sanctions) are in contravention of international treaties, conventions and agreements,” Fatemeh Alia, member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission told on Tuesday.

She described sanctions against Iran as a psychological warfare aimed at deceiving the world’s public opinion, adding that Western countries resorted to sanctions since they had reached a deadlock in their foreign policy.

“To the Iranian nation, such sanctions have no effect and our nation has learned to use them as a launching pad,” she reiterated.

The European Union on Monday expanded sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

The EU foreign ministers decided to impose asset freeze and travel bans on several additional Iranian officials and over 100 companies with links to Iran’s nuclear program.

Last month, the EU imposed also imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 32 Iranian officials over alleged human rights abuses.