All anti-Iran US sanctions must be lifted

They claim that the imposition of new US sanctions against Tehran not only runs counter to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) but violates the accord.

They point to recent sanctions imposed by Washington against the Islamic Republic as a reason that the US has breached the JCPOA.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described the Security Council’s refusal to slam Tehran’s missile activities as a diplomatic success for Iran.

However, the nuclear deal’s opponents not only believe this is not a success for the Rouhani administration but also consider new US sanctions as a setback for the foreign policy apparatus.

Contrary to comments made by the critics of the Rouhani administration, the UNSC move was a success for Iran’s foreign policy.

Washington has illegally and unjustifiably imposed three categories of sanctions on Iran since 1979.

The first category pertains to sanctions which have been enforced under the pretext of “violating human rights” by Iran.

It is clear that Iran’s rights record is much clearer than many US allies in the region. However, Tehran has become the target of sanctions only for political reasons, not because of violation of rights.

The second category is linked to Washington’s claims that accuse the Islamic Republic of sponsoring terrorism. Iran is the chief victim of terrorism. Iran has been the main ally of the governments fighting terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Iran even joined hands with the US at a certain time to oust the Taleban from Afghanistan. At the same time, some terrorist groups whose hands are stained with the blood of thousands of innocent Iranian people have turned Washington and other US cities into their safe haven with the support and backing of some US hardline politicians.

Moreover, a majority of the terrorists who attacked the WTO buildings were Saudi citizens, whereas Saudi Arabia has never been blamed by the United States for the terrorist attacks carried out on its soil.

These facts indicate that the baseless claim that Iran supports terrorism is a merely political pretext to pressure Iran.

The third category of sanctions were illegally imposed for Iran’s nuclear activities.

The conclusion of the Iran nuclear deal only lifted nuclear-related sanctions and had nothing to do with the first two categories. Hence, they have illegally remained in place while the US can either increase these sanctions or ease them.

The US has imposed new penalties on Iran for bypassing the sanctions which are not linked to the JCPOA.

Hence, the inhumane sanctions that mainly target the Iranian people must also be lifted because there is no logical and legal grounds for imposing and holding them.

Source: Iran Daily

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