Russia 'disappointed' by renewed US sanctions on Iran

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW

Moscow is "disappointed" by the resumption of U.S. sanctions on Iran, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

In a statement posted on its official website, the ministry called the U.S. move "a shining example of violations of international law."

In particular, the sanctions violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231, it said.

"The JCPOA fully justifies itself. It has proved its effectiveness,” said the ministry, using the acronym for the Iran nuclear deal.

“The [nuclear watchdog] IAEA regularly confirms that Iran has strictly adhered to its obligations. The verification and control measures foreseen by the action plan are fully applied. This, itself, is a reliable indication of the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program."

"We will do everything necessary to preserve and fully implement” the deal, the statement said.

The first round of the U.S. pre-nuclear deal sanctions on Iran, largely targeting the country’s banking sector, went into effect early Tuesday.

The sanctions target Tehran's acquisition of U.S. dollars, precious metals trade, transactions related to Iran's rial currency, activities related to Iran's sovereign debt, and the country's automotive sector.

In July 2015, the P5+1 group of countries -- the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany -- signed the nuclear deal with Iran.

In it, world powers agreed to lift some economic sanctions in return for Tehran agreeing to limit its nuclear activity to peaceful civilian purposes.

But on May 8, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his country's unilateral withdrawal from the deal, drawing condemnation worldwide.