Tipsheet

Iran Blasts Sanctions, Says They've Ended the Chance of Diplomacy Forever

After the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions against Iran, a spokesman for the country's Foreign Ministry said the chance of diplomacy between Washington and Tehran is over. 

“The useless sanctions against Iran’s leader and the commander of diplomacy means the permanent closure of the channel of diplomacy with the desperate U.S. administration,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Twitter.

“Trump’s desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security,” he added. 

President Trump announced the sanctions on Monday.

"I’ll be signing an executive order imposing hard hitting sanctions on the Supreme Leader of Iran and the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran and many others," he said. “Today’s action follows a series of aggressive behaviors by the Iranian regime in recent weeks including shooting down of U.S. drones."

He continued: "We do not seek conflict with Iran or any other country. I think a lot of restraint has been shown by us and that doesn’t mean we’re going to show it in the future."

Tehran claims the drone was in Iranian airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, but the U.S. insists the drone was flying in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Later on Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked the White House as being “afflicted by mental retardation” and said the administration’s latest move is desperate.