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United Nations Special Rapporteur Idriss Jazairy slammed on Wednesday the recent U.S. sanctions against Iran, calling them “unjust and harmful”.
In a written statement, the special rapporteur on the negative impact of sanctions said: “These unjust and harmful sanctions are destroying the economy and currency of Iran, driving millions of people into poverty and making imported goods unaffordable.”
On Aug. 6, the U.S. re-imposed a first round of economic sanctions on Iran, which mainly target the country’s banking sector.
The sanctions are intended to hinder Tehran's acquisition of U.S. currency, its precious metals trade, bank transactions denominated in the Iranian rial, activities related to Iran's sovereign debt, and the country’s automotive sector.
In his statement, Jazairy questioned whether the United States would provide food and medicines to the millions of Iranians no longer able to afford them.
“The current system creates doubt and ambiguity which makes it all but impossible for Iran to import these urgently needed humanitarian goods. This ambiguity causes a ‘chilling effect’ which is likely to lead to silent deaths in hospitals as medicines run out, while the international media fail to notice,” he said.
The special rapporteur urged the U.S. to "demonstrate its commitment to allow agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and medical devices into Iran by taking real and concrete steps to ensure that banks, financial institutions and companies can quickly and freely be assured that relevant imports and payments are permitted”
“Sanctions must be just, and must not lead to the suffering of innocent people,” Jazairy added.
The U.K. will help Iran modify its Arak nuclear reactor after the U.S. withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers earlier this year, Iranian officials announced Wednesday.“The U.K. has replaced the U.S. in a working group tasked with modifying the Arak heavy reactor,” Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr News Agency.In mid-2015, Iran signed the landmark nuclear deal with the P5 1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).The agreement had placed tight restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.In May of this year, however, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the agreement, which he had earlier described as the “worst deal ever”.Under the agreement’s terms, U.S. and Chinese experts had been tasked with modifying Iran’s heavy-water Arak reactor with a view to reducing its plutonium yield.Iran's Revolutionary Guard says will raise defensive capabilities
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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday it will continue increasing the country's defensive capabilities, and will not surrender to pressure over its missile programme."(Iran’s) missile programme has turned into the main challenge of the enemies of the Iranian nation, especially the United States, the Zionist regime (of Israel) and the Saudi rulers..."Increasing defensive capabilities will remain the main strategy of the armed forces," the IRGC said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency.Germany calls for end to US dominance in global financeBolton reaffirms US not seeking regime change in IranIran cleric says Israel and US will be targeted if Washington attacks
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says will raise defensive capabilities
U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton reaffirmed on Wednesday that the United States was not seeking a change of government in Iran."Just to be clear, regime change in Iran is not American policy. But what we want is massive change in the regime's behaviour," Bolton told a news conference in Jerusalem, where he has held talks with Israeli leaders.Bolton, who has in the past suggested the U.S. government should push for a change in government in Iran, said in May that that was not part of the Trump administration's policy.Iran cleric says Israel and US will be targeted if Washington attacksRouhani says US doesn't dare to attack IranIran to continue cooperating with Turkey: FM spokesmanIran says France's Total has officially left South Pars dealIran tells EU to speed up efforts to save nuclear deal
Bolton reaffirms US not seeking regime change in Iran
A senior Iranian cleric warned Washington on Wednesday that if it attacked Iran, the United States and allied Israel would be targeted, as a war of words escalated after the reimposition of the U.S. sanctions on Iran.Ahmad Khatami also told worshippers attending Eid prayers in Tehran that President Donald Trump’s offer of talks with Iranian leaders was unacceptable, as the U.S. leader wanted Tehran to concede on its missile programme and regional influence."Americans say you should accept what we say in the talks. So this is not negotiation, but dictatorship. The Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation would stand up against dictatorship," Khatami was quoted as saying by Mizan news agency."The price of a war with Iran is very high for America. They know if they harm this country and this state in the slightest way, the United States and its main ally in the region, the Zionist regime (of Israel) would be targeted," Khatami said.Khatami did not elaborate which forces would carry out such attacks, but Iran has said it could target Israeli cities with its missiles if it is threatened. Iran also has proxies in the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah group.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic's military prowess was what deterred Washington from attacking it, and vowed to boost Iran's military might.The Trump administration slapped sanctions back on Iran this month after withdrawing from the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran, saying it was too soft on Tehran and would not stop it developing a nuclear bomb.Washington imposed new sanctions in August, targeting Iran's car industry, trade in gold and other precious metals, and purchases of U.S. dollars. Trump has said the United States will issue another round of tougher sanctions in November that will target Iran's oil sales and banking sector.Trump's national security adviser told Reuters on Wednesday that the U.S. president wanted maximum pressure on Iran."There should not be any doubt that the United States wants this resolved peacefully, but we are fully prepared for any contingency that Iran creates,” John Bolton said.Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected Trump's offer of unconditional talks on a new nuclear deal, prompting Trump to tell Reuters in an interview on Monday: "If they want to meet, that's fine, and if they don't want to meet, I couldn't care less." Rouhani says US doesn't dare to attack IranIran to continue cooperating with Turkey: FM spokesmanIran says France's Total has officially left South Pars deal
Iran cleric says Israel and US will be targeted if Washington attacks