Iran blasts 'economic terrorism' after US sanctions Russia, China

Iran has condemned Washington's recent sanctions targeting Russia and China, urging the international community to stand against the US' "thuggish unilateralism" and "destructive economic terrorism".

Speaking on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi slammed sanctions set down on Chinese firms for trading with Iran.

He said they were contradictory to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and encouraged economic trade with Tehran.

"The US government is punishing other countries for upholding the resolution which itself has voted in favor of," he said.

Mousavi also criticized Washington's new sanctions on a Russian company and a number of individuals and entities on the pretext of "facilitating jet fuel shipments to Russian military forces in Syria" and cooperating with the legitimate government of Syria.

Speaking on Thursday, Russia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Vershinin had slammed the new sanctions as "unacceptable" and as "a continuation of the old American policy, based on unilateral sanctions."

Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Washington's "overuse" of "economic terrorism" was not only damaging the interests of American citizens and companies, but was also undermining the international trade of "independent countries".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the main victim of economic terrorism, condemns this destabilizing behavior," Mousavi said.

SS