Iran's Response to US Sanctions: We Will Impose Restrictions on Americans

In response to the addition of several individuals and entities to the US sanctions list, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that it would impose legal restrictions on American individuals and companies within the framework of 'reciprocal action.' In a statement released on Friday evening through official news sources, including IRIB News Agency, Iran strongly criticized the expansion of US sanctions to include 25 additional individuals and entities, describing this action as 'inconsistent with US commitments' and 'contrary to the spirit and text of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.' On Friday, the US Treasury Department added 25 individuals and entities to its sanctions list in connection with Iran's recent missile test, which includes 13 individuals and 12 companies, some of which are active in the UAE, Lebanon, and China. In reaction to this, Iran threatened to impose 'legal restrictions' on individuals and companies that, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, 'play a role in creating and assisting extremist terrorist groups in the region' and 'contribute to the massacre and repression of defenseless people in the region.' The statement did not mention the names of these individuals and companies, only promising that these names would be announced soon. According to the US Treasury Department, the announced sanctions are aimed at countering 'Iran's ballistic missile program' and 'destabilizing activities in the region' carried out by Tehran. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described these sanctions as 'illegitimate extraterritorial sanctions,' stating that they were imposed 'under the pretext of the recent missile test.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Iran's missile capabilities are 'designed solely for defensive purposes and the carrying of conventional weapons' and 'will never be used except in legitimate defense.' The statement added that the 'development' of these capabilities is the right of the Iranian people 'based on international law and the UN Charter,' and that foreign interference in this matter 'violates peremptory norms of international law and is beyond the jurisdiction of any country or entity.' In response to Tehran's missile test, the US President had previously tweeted, stating: 'Iran is playing with fire,' emphasizing that he would not adopt Barack Obama's 'kind behavior' towards Iran. However, the Iranian Foreign Minister tweeted on Friday, interpreted as a response to this issue, asserting that Iran will never be the initiator of war and will never use its weapons against another except in legitimate defense. The controversial missile test has also prompted reactions from several other American officials, including Michael Flynn, Trump's National Security Advisor, who stated on Wednesday that this test violates the Security Council resolution and that Iran would be officially warned in this regard. In Iran, however, 220 members of parliament expressed support for this missile test in a letter, stating that 'the only way to deter enemy aggression is the missile capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' They argued that the opposition of some countries to these tests 'lacks any logic' and that 'strengthening Iran's defense capability' is part of a 'deterrence strategy.'