ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Tehran on Friday criticized new United States sanctions announced just days ahead of the fifth round of nuclear talks set to take place in Rome.
“Marco Rubio's State Department hit a new low in American long history of unlawful coercive & hostile measures against the Iranian nation by further expanding their unlawful sanctions to construction sector and home building,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmael Baqaei said in a statement on X. “That's as outrageous as it is unlawful and inhuman.”
The US on Wednesday said Iran’s construction sector and strategic materials tied to its military and nuclear programs will now face sanctions.
“The Department of State identified Iran’s construction sector as being controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who only build terror and chaos, and identified 10 additional strategic materials that Iran is using in connection with its nuclear, military, or ballistic missile programs,” the department said in a statement.
Baqaei described the sanctions as part of a calculated effort to deprive Iranians of basic human rights, calling them “no less than crimes against humanity,” and said they reinforce the belief among Iranians that Washington is intent on undermining the country’s progress.
“These sanctions, announced on the eve of the fifth round of Iran-U.S. indirect talks, further put to question the American willingness and seriousness for diplomacy,” he added. “Our nation is resolved to remain steadfast and strong in the face of such absurd animosity.”
The fifth round of indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran is set to be held in Rome on Friday, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, the mediator, announced on Wednesday.
The goal of the talks is to replace the 2015 nuclear deal that US President Donald Trump withdrew from during his first term in office.
Washington’s negotiator, Steve Witkoff, has said that Iran must agree to zero uranium enrichment.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks will fail if the US sticks to that red line.
“Set to travel to Rome for 5th round of indirect talks with the United States. Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science: Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide,” he wrote on X.
Tehran has repeatedly asserted that atomic weapons go against the Islamic republic’s doctrine and has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The talks are coming amid increased tension between Iran and Israel. Israel has frequently threatened military action against Iran and CNN reported this week that intelligence indicates Israel is preparing for potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran warned it would hold the US accountable for any Israeli military action.
"We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility," Araghchi said in a letter to the United Nations, AFP reported.
According to the White House, Trump discussed Iran diplomacy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call that also addressed a recent attack in Washington that killed two Israeli embassy staff.
