Iranian Message After Trump's Announcement: 'We Have Kept Our Word'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Saturday that Tehran 'had kept its word' regarding the memorandum of understanding with the United States, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of the end of the ceasefire and his agreement to hold new talks.
Araghchi wrote on X platform: 'Iran has kept its word so far, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary who violates paragraph 9 of the memorandum,' referring to a part of the memorandum that stipulates the United States not to deploy additional forces in the region.
New Sanctions
Earlier, the United States imposed new sanctions related to Iran targeting a major financier of the new Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei and 13 other individuals and entities, following Tehran's resumption of attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Treasury Department explained that the sanctions targeted Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman, who had previously been sanctioned by Britain for his role in financial support for the activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and other entities.
The ministry stated that Ansari transferred wealth funded by public money into a vast external portfolio of real estate and commercial holdings, with the aim of enriching himself, government elites, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury also targeted 3 major money exchange companies based in Iran and foreign 'front' companies that the ministry said transferred billions of dollars annually on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks, using a network of shell companies to hide the government's illegal activity.
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US State Department spokesman Tommy Beegot said in a statement, 'The United States is taking decisive action to cut off the financial lifelines that support the ruling elite in Iran... By targeting these networks, the United States directly disrupts the regime's ability to access foreign currency and conduct international financial activities.'
The Treasury Department's announcement of the new sanctions came on a day that saw relative calm after renewed fighting last week following Iran's targeting of 3 Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers.
The United States bombed Iranian sites, and Iran responded by launching strikes on US military sites in Gulf states.
In a statement on the new sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the ministry would continue 'to use every tool available to it' to isolate Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials from the global financial system.
Iran said it is ready for 'comprehensive defense' if the United States violates the memorandum of understanding agreed upon last month.
Its chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, pledged in a post on Telegram that the war will never end with Tehran's surrender.
Original source: Sky News Arabia
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