Russia Calls New US Sanctions Against Iran 'Unjustifiable'

A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official described the new US sanctions against Iran related to the Islamic Republic's missile program as 'baseless and unjustifiable.' Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Thursday, July 20, the remarks of Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Department for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, who criticized the new US sanctions against Iran, stating that this event would be detrimental to the JCPOA. Ulyanov stated: 'International sanctions against Tehran, including those related to the missile program, were lifted as part of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran's nuclear program. The imposition of new restrictions is now unjustifiable.' The United States added 18 individuals and entities to its sanctions list on Tuesday due to their roles in Iran's missile programs and arming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This event led to Tehran's protests, accusing the US of violating the spirit of the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA with the new sanctions. On the other hand, Washington claims that Iran has not adhered to the spirit of the JCPOA and remains a destabilizing factor in the region. The US State Department also identified Iran as the leading state sponsor of terrorism in its annual terrorism report released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ulyanov criticized Washington's actions against Tehran, stating that US officials 'are executing their commitments regarding the JCPOA in the worst possible way,' including scaring global economic and financial entities from conducting transactions with Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly accused the US of pressuring foreign banks to refrain from trading with Iran. This issue led to negotiations between the foreign ministers of the two countries during Barack Obama's presidency, where then-US Secretary of State John Kerry assured that such pressure was not in effect.