Iran says fresh sanctions reveal U.S. "economic terrorism" attempt

TEHRAN, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Thursday strongly condemned fresh U.S. sanctions on individuals and entities in Iran and other countries on the pretext of cooperating with Tehran in different areas, calling them a clear sign of U.S. attempts at "economic terrorism."

The sanctions imposed over the past few days were a clear sign of U.S. policymakers' insistence on law-breaking and violation of other countries' rights and interests, as well as their bids to disrupt friendly and legal relations among developing states through economic terrorism, Baghaei said in a statement.

They are "another conspicuous proof of the U.S. decision makers' contradictory approach and lack of goodwill and seriousness in advancing the path of diplomacy," he said.

Baghaei was reacting to sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department and State Department on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, on six Iran-based individuals and 13 entities in Iran and other countries for their alleged involvement in trading Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals and procurement of ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of the Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

It came as the fourth round of the Omani-mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States, which was originally scheduled for Saturday in Rome, has been postponed. Enditem