TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Thursday strongly condemned the U.S. decision in imposing sanctions on Iran’s metal industry.

Mousavi said the U.S. measure contravenes the U.S. international commitments and will result in international liabilities for Washington, the Foreign Ministry website reported.

“The sanctions, as has been the case with all the United States’ unilateral measures, counter the basic principles and regulations of international relations,” he said in a statement. 

According to the spokesman, the bans are specifically against Washington’s international commitments under the UN Charter, the Algeria Declaration, the Treaty of Amity, and the injunction of the International Court of Justice, and the U.S. must be held responsible for its offences at the international level through judicial procedures.

The Trump administration announced new sanctions on Iran's metals sectors – steel, aluminum and copper industries – on Wednesday.

Trump’s executive order came hours after Iran announced it was withdrawing from parts of an Obama-era nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA.

MH/PA