Iran condemns new US sanctions

Iran on Thursday condemned the recent sanctions imposed by the United States , which affect more than 100 people, entities and vessels linked to the energy sector and the Iranian oil trade.

"The unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran constitute a criminal act that violates the fundamental principles and norms of international law and human rights, and constitute a crime against humanity," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqai said in a statement.

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The US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday night the largest package of sanctions against Iran since 2018 , affecting 115 individuals, entities and oil tankers that "are part of a vast shipping empire controlled by Mohamed Hossein Shamkhani," the son of a senior political adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

According to the US Treasury, the sanctions aim to cut off the flow of revenue that the Islamic Republic uses "to support terrorism abroad and oppress its own people" .

"The Shamkhani family's shipping empire illustrates how Iranian regime elites exploit their position to amass enormous wealth and fund the regime's dangerous behavior," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.

Many of the entities targeted by these sanctions are based in the United Arab Emirates.

This network "controls a significant portion of Iran's oil exports" and generates billions of dollars in profits annually, primarily from sales to Chinese buyers, the US Treasury said.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender downplayed the risks of "disruption to global oil markets" as a result of these sanctions, which he described as "a targeted action against illicit trafficking of Iranian oil."

Iran's diplomatic spokesman on Thursday called the sanctions "a malicious action aimed at harming the economic development and well-being of the Iranian people" and argued that the US government "must be held accountable" for alleged human rights violations.

"The United States' addiction to unilateral behavior and the use of illegal and coercive tools to further its illicit international objectives, as well as its extreme disregard for the rule of law and human rights, make a mockery of the fundamental principles of international law," the diplomat stressed.

Since his return to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has reimposed several sanctions on Iran as part of his "maximum pressure" policy, adopted during his first term (2017-2021) against Tehran to reduce its oil exports to zero.