Iran Condemns New US Sanctions, Rebukes Claims of Attempts to ‘Influence’ 2020 Election

Iran on Friday condemned new US sanctions that were imposed over claims of attempts to “influence” the 2020 presidential election.

The measures targeted six Iranian nationals and an Iranian cyber company. Two of the individuals who were sanctioned were also indicted by the US Justice Department.

“Iran condemns these new US sanctions as a continuation of the failed policy of Trump’s maximum pressure that are desperate and illegitimate,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.

“Such accusations addressed by the US government, who itself has a long history of meddling in other countries’ affairs in different shapes and forms, are baseless,” Khatibzadeh added.

The US and Iran are set to resume indirect negotiations to revive the nuclear deal on November 29th. The new sanctions are the second measures imposed since Tehran said it was ready to return to the talks at the end of November and are a sign that Washington isn’t serious about giving Iran enough sanctions relief to revive the JCPOA.

The initial round of talks between the US and Iran that lasted from April to June failed because the Biden administration refused to lift all Trump-era sanctions. Tehran agreed to negotiate limited sanctions relief, but the two sides were still far apart on key issues.