DUBAI, May 14. /TASS/. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei has said that the US introducing new sanctions against Tehran amid talks on settling differences around the Iranian nuclear program was unacceptable.
"The sanctions introduced simultaneously with talks underway are unacceptable and will impact our approach [to the negotiation process]," the SNN TV channel quoted him as saying.
Earlier, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on more than 20 companies in a "network" that purportedly has long sent Iranian oil to China. According to the Trump administration, oil sales helped fund the development of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, "nuclear proliferation," and attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement on shipping in the Red Sea, the US Navy and Israel.
"The United States will continue targeting this primary source of revenue, so long as the regime continues its support for terrorism and proliferation of deadly weapons," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
On May 12, the US imposed sanctions on three individuals and one entity from Iran over their purported role in the development of nuclear weapons, the US Department of State said.
"Iran continues to substantially expand its nuclear program and carry out dual-use research and development activities applicable to nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons delivery systems," the statement said. "It continues to use front companies and procurement agents to obscure its efforts to acquire dual-use items from foreign suppliers," the US State Department noted.
The US and Iran have held four rounds of talks on settling differences around the Iranian nuclear program with Oman’s mediation. The first round was held in Muscat on April 12, followed by three more rounds of talks: in Rome on April 19 and again in the Omani capital on April 26 and May 11. The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff led the American delegation.