Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif deplored the latest US sanctions targeting a number of Iranian individuals, describing the move as an attempt to divert the world’s attention from Saudi crimes in Yemen and the brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“To deflect from headlines on Saudi brutality in Istanbul and across Yemen, US Treasury—while in Saudi Arabia, no less—sanctions Iran for “supporting” anti-Iran Taliban,” Zarif said in a post on his official Twitter account on Wednesday.
“Conveniently omitting that US is negotiating with the very same Taliban now& its clients have long backed it,” he added.
The US Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions against eight individuals, including two allegedly linked to the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and accused Iran of providing material and financial support to the militants and supporting terrorism.
The US allegations that Iran supports the Taliban come as Tehran has on numerous occasions denied training or backing the militant group.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has been standing for nearly four decades alongside the friendly and brotherly government and people of Afghanistan to defend their sovereignty and independence, and the statements made to satisfy outsiders and invaders have no congruity with these friendly relations,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said earlier this year.
Source: Iranian media
