Iran slams EU decision to re-impose sanctions

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Iran has criticized the European Union for its decision not to remove sanctions imposed on the Bank Tejarat and 32 shipping companies.

Marzieh Afkham, the Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman said in regards to the EU measure to re-impose sanctions on an Iranian bank and 32 shipping companies that such attitude is “nonconstructive."

Her remarks came as the EU’s Official Journal said on April 8 that 32 of companies as well as Bank Tejarat are back on the sanctions list based on “a new statement of reasons”.

Afkham noted that revoking a decision by a European court to lift the bans leads to a “loss of confidence” as Iran and the P5+1 are still in talks to clinch a final nuclear accord by the end of June, Press TV reported.

“While negotiations continue and efforts are underway for a comprehensive agreement, the EU’s measure… is non constructive,” Afkham said.

The decision followed a mutual understanding reached between Iran and the P5+1 – the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, and Germany – in the presence of EU officials in Lausanne on April 2. Based on the prospective agreement, all sanctions will be removed in exchange for some nuclear-related measures taken by Tehran.

Afkham further voiced “regret” over the EU’s neglect of “decisions by European courts”, noting that the reintroduction of sanctions “will not help the current process of the talks and causes loss of confidence”.

In January, the General Court of the EU annulled the illegal bans on Bank Tejarat and 40 Iranian shipping companies, citing lack of enough evidence against them.

The U.S. and EU imposed sanctions on Iran's oil and financial sectors at the beginning of 2012 due to claims of potential deviation toward non-civilian purposes in Iran's nuclear energy program. Iran has repeatedly denied Western allegations against its nuclear energy program.

The sanctions are aimed to prevent other countries from purchasing Iranian oil and conducting transactions with the Central Bank of Iran. At the end of 2012, EU foreign ministers reached an agreement on another round of sanctions against Iran.