US imposes fresh sanctions against Iran; Tehran slams calling it contradictory approach

Washington/Tehran: – The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran, accusing that the Iranian drones threaten regional and international peace and stability. The US Treasury Department took action against the head of Iran’s drone command and the related companies. This has upset Iran and has lashed out at the United States. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that while negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran, on the other hand, the United States is acting against it by imposing sanctions.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department blacklisted senior officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and two companies. The United States said this included Brigadier General Saeed Aghajani, the head of Revolutionary Guards’ drone command. This year, drone strikes had been carried out on fuel and cargo ships travelling through the Persian Gulf under the command of Brigadier General Aghajani. The US Treasury Department has taken this action saying that the move poses a threat to international shipping.

The United States has blamed two major events this year for sanctions against Iran. In July, the Treasury Department reminded of a drone strike on an Israeli cargo ship, Mercer Street, near the Gulf of Oman. Two employees died in the attack. Israel and the United Kingdom spewed fire against Iran after it was revealed that a British national was killed.

The US Treasury Department declined to comment on the second drone strike. But last week’s drone strike on a US military base in al-Tanf, Syria, is the possible second reason. A few days ago, the Pentagon mentioned that Iran-affiliated terrorist organisations in Iraq and Syria were responsible for the attack. Therefore, the attack on the US military base in al-Tanf may be the reason for the US action against Brigadier General Saeed Aghajani.

The United States has accused Brigadier General Aghajani of being behind the biggest drone strike on the Saudi Arabian fuel plant in 2019. In August, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz also mentioned that Brigadier General Aghajani was behind the drone strikes on shipping vessels in international waters. The United States has also imposed sanctions on Alchemy Part Sivan and OJ Parvaiz Mado Nafar, two companies that help Iran’s Revolutionary Guards build attack drones.

Iran’s foreign ministry has strongly criticised the new US sanctions. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman made a vitriolic remark ‘The Biden administration, which has called for negotiations on a nuclear deal, has shown its complete double standards by imposing new sanctions on Iran. The Biden administration has sent a message that the United States cannot be trusted by maintaining the same sanctions policy as former President Donald Trump’.

Meanwhile, Israel has claimed that Iran, which supplies drones to Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Iraq-Syria terrorists, threatens Israeli air security increasingly. Israel is setting up an independent air security system to counter the threat. In this scenario, the United States has sent a strong message to Iran, imposing sanctions on its drone command chief. A few days ago, Robert Malley , US Special Envoy for Iran had warned that the window open for negotiations with Iran could be closed.