Iran condemns new EU sanctions

Iran condemned the new sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union saying that it merely renders the nuclear talks “more complicated and ineffective.”

Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry announced that the European Union is "taking erroneous steps with closed eyes under pressure from the US,” Iranian media report.

He added that the EU has been “taking its lead from the US” and thus lost its independence.

Yesterday, EU foreign ministers went on to approve wider sanctions against Iran which include a banning of all investment in oil and gas projects.

Reuters reports that the new sanctions include transactions with Iranian banks and insurance companies which are effective steps in restricting Iran’s trade in oil and gas.

Inspecting Iranian ships and restricting companies and individuals with ties to the Revolutionary Guards are also part of these new sanctions.

Mehmanparast insists that these sanctions while being “ineffective and nonconstructive”, do not lend themselves toward advancing the policy of dialogue and negotiation.

Russian foreign ministry also slammed the new unilateral EU sanctions against Iran and issued an announcement today stating that these sanctions “demean” the United Nations and render the efforts to resolve Iran’s nuclear situation ineffective.

Since the approval of the UN Security Council’s resolution in June to impose sanctions on Iran, the US, the EU, Canada, Japan and Australia have gone on to approve their own unilateral sanctions on Iran.