Repeated US sanctions against Tehran will yield no results: Iranian official

Repeated US sanctions against Iran will yield no results, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday, arguing that such measures have “failed” to achieve their objectives.

“Washington’s persistence in failed methods has no result other than proving America’s hatred for the Iranian people, because they know very well that the direct consequences of these sanctions are on ordinary citizens,” Baqaei told reporters at a weekly news conference, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He said sanctions and “intimidation” of other countries aimed at limiting trade ties violate the principles of free trade and respect for national sovereignty.

“This illegal practice is a wake-up call for the international community, as America’s excesses and violations of the law in international relations have even provoked protests from its close allies.”

Regarding reports that Tehran had been invited to join the Mecca pact, Baqaei said Iran had not been asked to join but that “proposals have been made for talks with these countries on regional security.”

The Mecca agreement was signed in early August by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to strengthen collective security and defense cooperation and promote regional stability.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel began joint strikes on Iran in late February, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on regional countries hosting US assets.

The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 and launched negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

Between July 8-24, the US and Iran exchanged military strikes, with Washington attacking targets inside Iran and Tehran responding by striking US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.