DUBAI, March 14. /TASS/. The new US sanctions against Iran's energy industry and the country's petroleum minister show that Washington remains hostile to Tehran and does not want to negotiate with it, the republic's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a statement.
"Pointing to statements by US authorities about their readiness for negotiations, Baghaei called the imposition of sanctions against Iran yet another clear proof that these intentions are false and further evidence of the US's hostile attitude," the report on the ministry's Telegram channel says.
The spokesman emphasized that "the hostile actions of the United States aimed at undermining Iran's economic and trade ties with other countries constitute a violation of the fundamental principles of international law and free trade." According to him, "Iran holds the US fully responsible for the consequences of these unilateral and illegal measures."
Baghaei noted that "these unworthy actions will not succeed in shaking the Iranian people's determination to defend their country's independence, dignity, and aspirations for further development and prosperity."
On March 13, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad, along with 17 Iran-related companies and 13 ships allegedly involved in transporting oil to China. The US department stated that the goal is to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.
US President Donald Trump has previously argued that Washington has the right to block Iranian oil shipments. Paknejad said in early February that imposing unilateral sanctions on energy-exporting countries would destabilize global markets.
US and Iran
After winning the US presidential election in November 2024, Trump has signaled that he will return to a policy of maximum pressure on Iran. He has repeatedly threatened Tehran to use military force if the Islamic republic fails to make a deal on its nuclear program with Washington. After assuming office as head of state, Trump signed an executive order resuming the maximum pressure policy, saying he would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that Tehran would not negotiate under pressure.
On March 7, Trump said he had sent Khamenei a message proposing talks on the nuclear program. The Iranian leader responded that the United States was driven solely by its own interests, so Tehran opposed negotiations with Washington. On March 12, Khamenei stated that Trump's remarks about readiness for negotiations were an attempt to deceive global public opinion.