Iranian Official Says U.S. Sanctions Sign of Diplomatic Weakness

(Bloomberg) — The “repetitive” U.S. sanctions on Iran are a sign of diplomatic weakness and inefficiency and should be dropped, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on messaging app Telegram.

Mousavi also called on the U.S. to meet its nuclear agreement pledges. The latest wave of U.S. sanctions targeted the construction sector and the country’s elaborate missile programs, with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo saying the decision is intended to keep a close watch on Iran’s civil nuclear program and constrain its ability to shorten its “breakout time” for a nuclear weapon.

Read: Trump Orders More Sanctions on Iran After Attack on Saudi Arabia

To contact the reporters on this story: Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at [email protected];Mahmoud Habboush in Abu Dhabi at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at [email protected], Renee Bonorchis, Sara Marley

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