(Tehran) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday downplayed the consequences of recent sanctions imposed by Western countries over alleged arms exports to Russia, calling them an “ineffective tool” to influence his country’s policy.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany announced new sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, accusing Tehran of delivering ballistic missiles to Russia to strike Ukraine.
Iran has rejected the accusations and threatened to take “measures” in response to the sanctions.
“It is surprising that Western countries still do not realize that sanctions are an ineffective tool and that they are unable to impose their agenda on Iran through sanctions,” Araghchi said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
“We have always been open to negotiations and have never renounced constructive dialogue. […]but dialogue must be based on mutual respect, not on threats and pressure,” he added.
He also called the sanctions a “tool of pressure,” “of confrontation,” and not “of cooperation.”
On Thursday, Iran summoned diplomatic representatives from Britain, the Netherlands, France and Germany to protest the sanctions.