Iran slams US on new sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has criticised the US for
new sanctions, saying they are “not compatible” with the
spirit of current negotiations.
Speaking on Iranian TV, he said Iran was still committed to
continuing nuclear talks with the US and five other
international powers.
New sanctions on 25 firms and individuals were announced
in Washington on Friday, according to the British
Broadcasting Corporation.
World powers suspect Iran seeks atomic weapons, a claim it
strongly denies.The country insists that it is enriching
uranium for use in nuclear power stations and for medical
purposes.
The new sanctions target those suspected of evading
previous sanctions, aiding the nuclear programme or
supporting terrorism, US officials said.
“They are in conflict with the spirit of talks. They are
unconstructive in my opinion,” he said
However Rouhani confirmed that Iran would continue
nuclear talks with the P5+1 countries for a final agreement
on its nuclear programme.
“If there are no excessive demands in the issue and if the
opposite side shows loyalty…we can achieve a final deal,” he
said.
And he added: “Of course we bypass sanctions. We are
proud that we bypass sanctions because the sanctions are
illegal.”
Talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in
exchange for ending sanctions began in February, but Iran
and the six countries involved failed to reach a deal by the
July 20 deadline.
Speaking at a news conference broadcast on state TV,
Rouhani said the introduction of new sanctions was “a very
ugly move” that would deepen distrust between the two
sides.