Iran dismisses US sanctions: nuclear chief
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Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi downplayed on Wednesday the U.S. sanctions against Iran, saying such sanctions would fail to stop Iran's growing movement toward progress, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
"Unfortunately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is influenced by some countries. The agency should normalize Iran' s nuclear case," he was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on seven foreign companies, including Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and Israeli Ofer Brothers Group, which it said are involved in providing Iran with gasoline and other refined petroleum products. The U.S. State Department said that the new penalties are part of an ongoing effort to force the country to give up its nuclear ambitions.
On Monday, the European Union (EU) strengthened its sanctions on the Islamic Republic amid worries that it is moving to the atomic weaponry developments.
The newly adopted restrictive measures placed a number of additional names on the lists of persons and entities subject to EU sanctions, including travel restrictions and assets freeze. About 100 new entities related with the Iranian authorities were added to the EU sanctions list.
Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian and peaceful purpose.
Senior Iranian lawmaker Kazem Jalali said Iran's (Majlis) parliament has approved sanctions against 26 U.S. officials, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
The Rapporteur of Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said Tuesday that "although the U.S. unilateral policies are criminal in general, some of the country's officials are playing more significant roles in violation of human rights, crimes against humanity, drug smuggling and transit," the report said.
"The approved measure deals with punishment of these officials, " Jalali said, adding that the details of imposed sanctions would be ratified by the parliament soon.
Iran is under sanction pressures by the United States, European Union and other Western countries over its controversial nuclear program, which the West believe is moving to the atomic weaponry developments.
