The US is trying to increase external pressure on Iran using invented claims in order to push regime change in a sovereign state from the outside, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Despite regular assurances from the IAEA that Tehran has been meticulously fulfilling all of its [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] requirements, Washington unfoundedly accuses it of secret missile and nuclear ambitions. The goal is, under the pretext of invented claims, to maximize external pressure on Iran in order to, despite international law, achieve a change of power in the sovereign state from outside," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
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Moscow added that ending sanctions waivers on Iranian oil imports would not strengthen the US's international authority.
"The United States has clearly made a mistake in choosing such means, which is effectively a tactic of economic strangulation, dealing a blow to ordinary Iranians's living conditions in order to make Tehran an compliant negotiator ready for any deals on US terms. Such a policy will not strengthen international authority for the Americans — the rest of the world sees perfectly that Washington's policy is becoming more aggressive and reckless," the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement read.
READ MORE: Over 20 Nations Dropped Iranian Oil Imports to Zero — US State Department
The waivers, which will not be reissued after they expire in May, as Trump announced Monday, were given to a total of eight countries in November 2018, including China, Japan, India, Italy, Greece, South Korea Taiwan and Turkey.
Commenting on the decision, Washington said that the US, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would ensure that the global oil market would remain "adequately supplied".