Iran condemns new US sanctions as erosion of sovereignty
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Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned impending US sanctions as a 'complete erosion of sovereignty' following President Donald Trump's threat to punish countries doing business with Tehran. Baghaei said the US announcement asserted extraterritorial sovereignty over UN member states. The condemnation came as the US Navy maintained its blockade of Iranian ports and oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz virtually ceased.
Key Facts
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the US sanctions announcement 'an assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty' against UN member states.
- US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the 'most crushing economic operation' yet against Iran, threatening 'tremendous economic consequences' for countries whose institutions interface with Tehran.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday the new sanctions regime would 'collapse' Iran and that other countries are 'either with us or against us'.
- Only four commodity ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, none of them large crude carriers or LNG tankers, according to ship-tracking data.
- Iran granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.
Iranian Condemnation
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X on Saturday that the US announcement was 'an assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty' against UN member states. He said no state can compel foreign banks, enterprises or airports to renounce commerce with Iran. Baghaei described the end result as 'the complete erosion of sovereignty as the foundational basis of the UN-based inter-State system, and a recipe for an abysmal return to full-scale classic colonialism'. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the new measures were 'bound to fail', writing on X: 'We have seen this movie before. Same bull. Different bullies.'
US Sanctions and Blockade
Trump announced on Wednesday the 'most crushing economic operation' yet against Iran and said any country whose institutions interface with Tehran would face 'tremendous economic consequences'. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday the new sanctions regime would 'collapse' Iran and that other countries are 'either with us or against us'. The US Navy has maintained its blockade against Iran's ports, while oil shipment traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually ceased. Only four commodity ships sailed along the strait on Thursday, none of them large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers, ship-tracking data showed.
Strait of Hormuz Traffic
While the US has blockaded Iranian vessels in their ports, the Strait of Hormuz remained bottled up with thousands of seafarers stranded on hundreds of vessels. Iran has granted permission for several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the strait following repeated requests from Baghdad, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. Trump told reporters Friday that his government is 'seeing what happens' in the conflict, adding: 'They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion.'
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Iran condemns new US sanctions as erosion of sovereignty
