US Tightens Sanctions over Ballistic Missile Tests, Iran Takes Reciprocal Measures
The Trump administration Friday imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities, ratcheting up pressure on Iran in what it said were just “initial steps” and said it would no longer turn a “blind eye” to Iran’s ‘hostile actions.’
“The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate Iran’s provocations that threaten our interests,” National Security Adviser Michael Flynn said in a statement. For its part, Iran slammed the sanctions over its defensive missile program and spiritual support for Yemen’s Ansarullah revolutionaries as illegal, saying that the Islamic Republic will deliver a “proportionate and reciprocal” response to the move.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran with the backing of the wise participation and support of the great Iranian nation, will respond proportionately and reciprocally to any move that targets the interests of the Iranian people,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The statement further added that Iran’s missile power is only aimed at defensive purposes and meant to carry conventional weapons and would never be used other than in legitimate defense. The foreign ministry said Iran’s missile program is the undeniable and inalienable right of the Iranian nation according to international law and the United Nations Charter.
The statement also noted that any foreign interference in this regard is a violation of international law and outside the jurisdiction of any country or organization. The ministry said the recent US sanctions are also inconsistent with US commitments and at odds with the spirit and text of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
“Just as in reaction to the Islamophobic move of the US government and the temporary prevention of the entry of Iranians, the issuance of visas was suspended for US citizens within the framework of a special mechanism, in response to the new US measure, the Islamic Republic of Iran will move to impose legal restrictions on a number of American people and entities who are involved in founding and assisting extremist terrorist groups in the region or contributing to the carnage and suppression of defenseless people in the region,” the Foreign Ministry said. It added that the names of the banned American people and entities would be announced later.
The statement reiterated that the security of the Islamic Republic is not open to any compromise or negotiations, stressing that the naive and injudicious measures of the US government would not prevent Iran from following through with its principled policy of safeguarding peace and security in the region and combating terrorism and extremism.
The ministry also stressed that the Islamic Republic would not allow the ominous realization of the dangerous plots and delusions of the Zionist warmongers and their supporters.
Source: News Agencies
