Iran urges countries not to join US ‘illegal’ sanctions
Tehran, Aug 28 (IANS) The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday urged countries not to join Washington’s unilateral sanctions against Iran.
In a statement, the ministry condemned US sanctions policies against Iran, saying they were “in violation of the UN Charter, international humanitarian law and human rights.”
The ministry accused the United States of using the dollar as a tool to intimidate other countries into following “interventionist” policies against Tehran.
It called on all countries to refrain from implementing the sanctions or recognising the situations or impacts resulting from “these illegal actions.”
Earlier in the day, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that diplomacy with the United States can get back on track if Washington realises that pressure against Tehran does not work, Xinhua News Agency reported.
He made the remarks in a post on X, referring to his meeting on Thursday with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Tehran, during which the two sides held “creative discussions.”
Araghchi said, “Putting diplomacy back on track isn’t impossible. It hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn’t work.”
He called on the United States to build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge Iran’s rights, and uphold its commitments toward the country.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said the United States would launch “the most crushing economic operation ever” against Iran, describing it as an “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later announced a wave of new sanctions aimed at further isolating Iran.
On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region. Under the MoU, the two sides were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, ending on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement. However, the fate of the talks remains unclear following an escalation between the two countries last month.
–IANS
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