Iran Condemns New US Sanctions as ‘Unlawful Economic Warfare’
TEHRAN: Iran has strongly condemned the United States’ announcement of new economic sanctions, accusing Washington of violating the sovereignty of independent states and attempting to impose its authority beyond US jurisdiction.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the latest measures went far beyond what he described as continued unlawful “economic warfare” against Iran.
Baqaei argued that the sanctions amounted to an attempt by the United States to exercise “extraterritorial sovereignty” over independent members of the United Nations. He said Washington had no legal authority to compel foreign banks, companies or airports to stop conducting lawful trade with Iran.
“No state may lawfully compel foreign banks, enterprises, or airports — each subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of its own sovereign — to renounce lawful commerce with a third state,” Baqaei said.
His comments came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high, with the United States preparing additional economic measures targeting Iran and its trading partners. The latest US pressure is expected to focus particularly on countries continuing to purchase Iranian oil.
Iran has repeatedly rejected the legitimacy of unilateral US sanctions, arguing that economic coercion violates the principles of sovereign equality and international law. Baqaei warned that such policies risk undermining state sovereignty and pushing the international system towards what he called a return to “classic colonialism.”
The latest exchange further underscores the widening gap between Washington and Tehran as diplomatic efforts remain stalled and economic pressure on Iran intensifies.
