A senior Iranian diplomat says sanctions imposed by the United States on Tehran primarily violate Europe’s sovereignty, security and credibility rather than target Iran’s economy.
“We are waiting to see how Europe will defend its sovereignty against Washington’s pressure,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi, who is in Madrid for talks with senior Spanish officials, said on Friday.
Earlier this month, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced the re-imposition of the “toughest” sanctions ever against Iran’s banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off the country’s oil sales and crucial exports. The announcement came after it withdrew in May from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
Under the deal, reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries…