Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has slammed the most recent American sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic as a vivid example of US claims of willingness to hold negotiations with Iran being nothing but a play to the gallery.
"It was only necessary to wait one week until the claim of the president of America about talks with Iran were proven to be hollow", Mousavi said.
He further dismissed the US strategy of "maximum pressure" on Iran through sanctions as a "defeated policy", noting that previous administrations had already tried to undermine the Islamic Republic using this approach, but with little success.
The statement comes in light of the US imposing sanctions on Iran's Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC) and its subsidiaries on 7 June, citing its alleged support of the economic arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
READ MORE: US Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Amid Escalation
The sanctions follow US President Donald Trump's statement that Washington is ready to talk to Tehran about normalising bilateral relations and signing a new nuclear deal. Iran has responded that it will only negotiate with the US once it starts abiding by its international commitments and lifts sanctions from the country.
Relations between the two countries have been further spoiled by a US military build-up in the Middle East. Washington has ordered the deployment of an additional 1,500 troops, a regiment of B-52 bombers and sent one of its aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.
At the same time, the US president warned Tehran against aggression towards its forces and allies in the region, vowing that it would be the "official end of Iran". Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded to this by saying that Iranians do not seek war with the US, but will "resist" American pressure until Washington retreats.
