Iran on Thursday condemned the fresh round of U.S. sanctions against its regional ally Syria terming it as inhuman adding that it would expand its trade ties with Damascus.
The U.S. on Wednesday imposed its toughest sanctions targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to choke off revenue for his government and force it back to U.N.-led negotiations on ending his country’s war.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state media that “as the world is involved with the Corona pandemic, the imposition of such inhumane sanctions will only exacerbate the suffering of the Syrian people.
“We will continue our economic cooperation with the resilient Syrian nation and Syria’s government, and despite these sanctions, we will strengthen our economic relations with Syria.’’
Separately, Iran welcomed a two-day debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council about alleged U.S. police brutality and racial discrimination.
However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a Twitter post “systemic racism, police brutality and violence against peaceful protests represent just the tip of the iceberg.
“It’s high time (the world) works for the U.S. regime’s human rights accountability at home and abroad.’’
Iran, which faces heavy U.S. sanctions, is a close ally of Assad.
Tehran has sent thousands of fighters to back the Syrian central government, including Iranian-trained Shi’ite militias whose members are from Afghanistan and other countries.
