Iran Condemns US Sanctions Against Turkey

The Iranian authorities categorically condemn the sanctions imposed by the United States against Turkey due to the acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems. This was stated by Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as reported by TASS.

“The US's propensity for imposing sanctions and its disrespect for international law have once again been fully demonstrated. We strongly condemn the recent US sanctions against Turkey,” the foreign minister wrote on his Twitter page.

It should be noted that the day before, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense industry body (SSB) in accordance with the 231st article of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for deliberately participating in a large deal to purchase S-400 missile systems from Rosoboronexport. The sanctions include a ban on all US export licenses and permissions for SSB, the freezing of assets, and visa restrictions on regional head Ismail Demir and three other SSB employees.

“The United States fully upholds CAATSA's 231st article and will not tolerate large transactions with Russian defense and intelligence agencies. I also call on Turkey to resolve the S-400 issue immediately in agreement with the US. Turkey is a valued ally of the US and an important partner in ensuring regional security, and we seek to continue our long history of effective cooperation in the defense sector by eliminating the obstacle posed by the presence of S-400s in the Turkish armed forces as soon as possible,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement the day before.