The United States announced new sanctions against Iran on Tuesday over its ballistic missile programme and what it called Tehran's support for terrorist groups in the Middle East.
The sanctions announced by the State Department target 18 individuals or entities described as supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme or the elite Republican Guard.
The announcement came a day after the United States certified that Iran was complying with the landmark nuclear deal signed two years ago with the United States and other world powers, but also warned it was preparing new sanctions.
“The United States remains deeply concerned about Iran's malign activities across the Middle East which undermine regional stability, security, and prosperity,” State Department said.
It cited Iran's support for Hezbollah, Hamas, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Huthi rebels in Yemen fighting a US-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian committee monitoring the JCPOA implementation has come up with plans to take reciprocal measures in retaliation to a bill the US Senate has passed to impose new sanctions on Tehran, a top official announced.
The US Senate’s passage of a new anti-Iran bill was carefully discussed in a recent session of the committee supervising the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the necessary decisions about reciprocal measures were made, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said Sunday.
It came after the US Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would step up sanctions against Iran and Russia. The measure, passed by a vote of 98 to 2, includes new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program and alleged “continued support for terrorism.”
Many experts have slammed the Senate’s move as a breach of both the text and the spirit of the JCPOA, a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Elsewhere in his comments, Shamkhani described the Senate bill as a “hostile and illegal” move, apart from its contravention of the JCPOA.
“The continuation of the previous US administration’s unconstructive approach against Iran indicates that officials in that country (US) are looking for excuses to escalate tension and instability in the region without caring about internationally-accepted norms,” he added.
Shamkhani further called for formulation of binding mechanisms in the country as part of efforts to mobilize domestic capacities to counter the US belligerent actions, noting that the parliament is going to take the necessary measures.
On Saturday, a lawmaker told Tasnim that the parliament will discuss a motion to take reciprocal measures in retaliation to the US bill.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman has also said that Iran is closely monitoring the process that the Senate bill is undergoing to become a law, adding, “The (Iranian) committee supervising the implementation of the JCPOA will decisively take reciprocal and proportionate measures to fulfill the country’s national interests.”
In order for the new Senate bill to become law, it must still pass the US House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump.
