Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif ‘strongly’ condemned US sanctions against Turkey over the purchase of S-400 defense missiles from Russia.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the top Iranian diplomat lashed out at US, SAYING Washington “has addiction to sanctions.”

U.S. addiction to sanctions and contempt for international law at full display again.

We strongly condemn recent U.S. sanctions against Turkey and stand with its people and government.#NeighborsFirst

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 15, 2020

On Monday, the US Treasury introduced sanctions on four Turkish officials, the country’s government and the presidency of Defense Industries – Turkey’s defense procurement agency. The measures came as a response to Ankara’s purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system in July last year.

Turkey denounced the sanctions, vowing to “take the necessary steps against this decision” which it said “will inevitably have a negative impact” on relations between the two states.

Ankara “will not refrain from taking measures it considers necessary to ensure its national security,” Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, adding that Washington’s “security” pretext for the sanctions was baseless.

From his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Washington’s move was “another manifestation of an arrogant attitude towards international law” and a “manifestation of illegitimate, unilateral coercive measures” that the country has been resorting to for years.

Source: Agencies