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The US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook on Thursday defended the American sanctions policy on Tehran after experts raised doubts about its effectiveness.
During a public event in Washington, Hook said, “The sanctions we have imposed on the (Iranian) regime are the toughest ever, they are making an enormous difference”.
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The sanctions are “meaningfully” targeting the revenue streams the Iranian government relies on, he further noted.
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Iran has maintained a tough stance and scaled back its nuclear commitments in response.
On Wednesday, the US imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, including an airline and the country’s shipping industry.
The recent development came after US sanctions announcement on December 6 that targeted Iraqi leaders of three Iran-backed militias for killing innocent civilians who were protesting economic conditions and foreign interference in their country.
Earlier in the month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had said that his country is still ready for nuclear talks on condition of the US first lifts “unlawful” sanctions.
In September, the US had imposed its first-ever sanctions against Iran’s space agency and accused it of disguising a missile program.
The US also warned the “international scientific community that collaborating with Iran on space launch vehicles could contribute to its ballistic missile program.”
In response to the US, Iran said that its space program is aimed at building rockets to launch telecommunications satellites. Iran has fired two such satellites into orbit since 2013. But three other attempts this year have failed, including one rocket that blew up on the launch pad last week.
Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads since May last year when US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and began reimposing crippling sanctions.
Iran has hit back with countermeasures in response to the US withdrawal from the deal, which gave it the promise of relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
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