Iran condemns US Senate sanctions bid

Iran has slammed the recent sanctions bid approved by the US Senate against the Islamic Republic as contradictory to Washington’s declared support for diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

“The recent measure by the [US] Senate is incompatible with the claims made by the US government in support of diplomacy and negotiation,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Monday.

On November 30, the US Senate approved a new round of sanctions against Iran’s energy, port, shipping and shipbuilding sectors. The amendment should pass through the House of Representatives and should be signed by US President Barack Obama before turning into law.

A report published on the website of Foreign Policy on Friday, however, said that the White House had been against the new measure and that it had conveyed a message indicating its opposition to the senators through its National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor hours before the amendment was passed.

Even if the opposition of the US President Barack Obama administration to the new round of sanctions is verified, it will be indicative of the confusion in the corridors of power in the United States, Mehmanparast said, adding that the policies of such confused power systems are “untrustworthy.”

Mehmanparast said the approval of such laws undermines the basic principles of international law, including sovereign equality.

“The measure demonstrates to the world public opinion that the logic behind Iran’s resistance against the US bullying approach is a strong one, which is aimed at the negation of unilateralism and a commitment to the principles of international law in order to strengthen international peace and stability.”

The US, Israel and some of their allies falsely claim that Tehran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. The US and European Union have use the unfounded accusation as a pretext to impose international and unilateral sanctions on Iran.

Tehran rejects the allegations against its nuclear energy activities, arguing that as a committed signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.