Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday rejected as “illogical” fresh sanctions adopted by the European Union against the Islamic republic over its contentious nuclear programme.
“The move (by the EU) to impose sanctions, which follows certain political objectives, is illogical,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in his weekly news conference.
The EU on Monday tightened its sanctions on Iran, adding more than 100 firms to a blacklist of companies hit by an assets freeze amid efforts to jump start international talks to convince Tehran to halt its nuclear ambitions.
“It is better for the EU to safeguard the interests of its people rather than blindly following the policies of other countries,” Mehmanparast said without elaborating.
The European Union and the United States have slapped unilateral sanctions on Iran on top of four sets of punitive measures imposed by the UN Security Council.
The US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have engaged in on-and-off talks with Iran over fears it is seeking to acquire a nuclear military capacity under the guise of its civilian atomic programme.
Tehran has repeatedly denied the charges, insisting it is merely trying to meet its people’s energy needs.
