In a Tuesday tweet, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said, “The futile US sanctions against Iran’s Leader and the commander of Iran’s diplomacy (Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif) means the permanent closure of the path to diplomacy with the desperate US administration.”
“The [US President Donald] Trump administration is violating all established international mechanisms for maintaining global peace and security,” he went on to say.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump announced new sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic’s topmost authorities.
Trump announced the measures against Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his office, Iran’s foreign minister, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the country’s elite defence force.
Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday that he said will deny the Leader’s office and other Iranian officials access to financial instruments.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran, until the regime abandons its dangerous activities” Trump alleged
Trump also said the sanctions would have been imposed regardless of the Tehran’s downing of a surveillance US drone last week by the IRGC. He said the Leader was ultimately responsible for what Trump called “the hostile conduct of the regime.”
“Sanctions imposed through the executive order … will deny the Supreme Leader and the Supreme Leader’s office, and those closely affiliated with him and the office, access to key financial resources and support,” Trump said.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran, until the regime abandons its dangerous activities” he said.
He at the same time noted that the US does not “seek conflict with Iran or any other country.”
“I can only tell you we cannot ever let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
His comments come as Iran’s leadership has repeatedly expressed their firm opposition to the development and use of nuclear weapons.
