Russia questions latest U.S. sanctions on Iranian companies

Russia questions latest U.S. sanctions on Iranian companies

2011-06-25 03:01:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday questioned the objectives of the latest United States sanctions on Iranian companies, including the national airline carrier, RIA Novosti reported.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the recent sanctions raised suspicions over the U.S. policy, as it may be pursuing other objectives in addition to maintaining the non-proliferation regime.

In addition, the measures imposed on four Iranian commercial entities and one government official had a negative effect on the authority of the United Nations Security Council.

"This position is absolutely inadmissible for us. It needs a total review," the Russian Foreign Ministry added. "The sanctions have the potential to threaten Russian businesses working with these companies and undermine the basics of our cooperation."

The U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday imposed an assets freeze and other sanctions on four Iranian entities for providing support to terrorism and to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The companies, including Iranian state-run air carrier Iran Air and port operator Tidewater, were banned from engaging in any transaction with the U.S. commercial and financial systems.

In early June, the U.S. imposed sanctions and assets freeze on IRGC, along with the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) and Iran's national police, for committing severe human rights violations.

Iran is currently under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions for defying demands to stop uranium enrichment. The Islamic nation alleged that such enrichment is not intended to develop nuclear weapons but as a replacement for fossil fuels.

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