Iran says new United States sanctions are designed to destroy nuclear deal

Iranian authorities on Thursday said the United States ratification of a new sanctions bill was an attempt to destroy the nuclear agreement signed between Tehran and six major global powers in July 2015. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the main objective of the US by imposing sanctions against Iran was to destroy the agreement, adding that Tehran will react intelligently to those measures, reports Efe news. [caption id=“attachment_3454186” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A nuclear plant in Iran. PTI[/caption] US president Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the law imposing new sanctions on Iran for its weapons programme and its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah. The package, which was passed by an overwhelming majority in the US Congress, also included measures against Russia and North Korea. According to Araghchi, the move shows that the US fears that the nuclear deal gives power to Iran, and so for Washington, the situation must be reversed and Iran must be pressured. The nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers – the US, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, China and Germany – limits Tehran’s atomic programme in exchange for lifting international sanctions. The Iranian authorities have already filed a complaint this week about the new sanctions imposed by Washington before the joint commission overseeing the pact, which has consistently verified Tehran’s compliance with its commitments. In addition, the Iranian committee charged with monitoring the implementation of the nuclear agreement has announced that it will give a strong response to the new US sanctions. The bill that the Iranian Parliament is preparing will reinforce the ballistic missile programme and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the targets of US sanctions, Araghchi said.