MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. The US State Department’s plans to renew sanctions against Iran violate international law, such a policy must be opposed by all members of the Iranian nuclear deal, including European states, Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s (lower house of parliament) Committee for Foreign Affairs Leonid Slutsky told reporters on Thursday.

"The statement by the US State Department on the renewal of sanctions against Iran violates all norms of international law. It turns out that the US plans to renew anti-Iranian sanctions by notification, despite the UN Security Council voting against it last Friday?" Slutsky said, noting that "there are also threats of extraterritorial sanctions against Russia and China for their defiance of decisions imposed by Washington."

"The blatant, cynical and aggressive policy promoting American hegemony must be properly opposed by all other members of the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - TASS), including European partners," the committee’s head stressed. According to Slutsky, "it is unacceptable when one side unilaterally exits international agreements approved by the UN Security Council resolution, and then tries to dictate its will through sanctions."

"The US decided to break the Iranian nuclear deal, disregarding the diplomatic efforts that took years and blatantly provoking Iran. Now they have lost the right to discuss Tehran’s adherence to the JCPOA," Slutsky stated.

The US State Department informed that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to visit the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday to inform the Security Council of Washington’s decision to renew anti-Iranian sanctions that are set to enter into force in 30 days. The US took this step after the US draft resolution on prolonging the arms embargo against Iran failed to gain enough votes at the UN Security Council on August 14, with the majority of countries abstaining, and Russia and China voting against the resolution.

According to Pompeo, the US is ready to slap sanctions on Russia and China if they try to impede the process of renewing the restrictions against Tehran.