Amir Abdollahian slams EU over plans to impose new sanctions on Iran

April 23, 2024 - 18:36

TEHRAN- Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Foreign Minister of Iran, chastised the European Union for imposing harsher sanctions on the nation in retaliation for the latest round of massive drone and missile attacks on Israel, stating that the EU should not budge to Washington’s demands in order to placate the phony regime in Tel Aviv.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Amir Abdollahian added that “it is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defense in the face of Israel’s reckless aggression.”

He also stressed, “The EU should not follow Washington’s advice to satisfy the criminal Israeli regime.”

Criticizing the EU’s response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities against the Palestinian people, the top Iranian diplomat called it “almost nothing more than hollow words.”

At last, Amir Abdollahian urged the EU to impose sanctions on Israel. 

The statements were made a day after the European Union's foreign ministers decided to put more sanctions on Iran, covering the suspected transfer of missiles to other nations and organizations after the massive Operation Truthful Promise against Israeli-occupied regions. 

In response to a lethal Israeli raid on its embassy compound in Damascus, Iran unleashed hundreds of drones and missiles on the occupied Palestinian territory. 

On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell highlighted that members of the bloc had agreed in principle during a meeting in Luxembourg to expand the EU’s current drone-related sanctions on Iran to cover missiles and their transfers out of the country.

“We have reached a political agreement in order to enlarge and expand the existing drone (sanctions) regime in order to cover missiles and their potential ... transfer to Russia,” Borrell said, adding that the bans would also be expanded beyond Russia to cover alleged supply of missiles to regional groups deemed to be allied to Iran.

According to him, the EU has to put in more effort to create a legislative framework so that the fresh sanctions on Iran may be put into place. 

In response to Israel's April 1 bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, Tehran has also blasted the EU for planning further penalties in light of an Iranian missile and drone strike on Israel in mid-April. 

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, issued a warning earlier on Monday, saying that any attempt to place more sanctions on Iran in response to Israel's justifiable assaults will be seen as compensation for the Zionist occupation regime. 

In a weekly news briefing, Kanaani stated that the imposition of fresh sanctions by the EU on Iran will be remembered as a "shameful move." 

Iran has repeatedly reiterated that the drones it gave to Russia, which are purportedly being deployed in that country's war against Ukraine, were sent to Moscow well in advance of the conflict beginning in February 2022. However, Iran has denied providing drones or missiles to regional groups. 

Following the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said brave Iranian men will "punish" Israel and make the evil regime "regret" its crime of assassinating the country's military advisors in Syria.

The Leader wished divine mercy for the victims of the terrorist attack and censured the leaders of the “oppressive and aggressive” Israeli regime.

Zahra Ershadi, Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, told the 15-member Security Council that it reserves the right "to take a decisive response" to the attack, saying Israel violated the founding UN Charter, international law, and the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises.

Israel’s crime clearly breaches the basic principles of diplomatic and consular immunity, as well as the 1961 Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes, the diplomat stated. 

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, also said Israel’s actions are set to inflame the ongoing regional conflict more and more.

Slamming the "flagrant violation" of Syria's sovereignty, Nebenzia told the Security Council that Russia was "of the view that such aggressive actions by Israel are designed to further fuel the conflict. They are absolutely unacceptable and must stop."   

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