The United States puts at risk the nuclear nonproliferation regime for "extraneous purposes" by imposing sanctions on Iran over its alleged destabilizing activities in the Middle East, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov told Sputnik on Monday.
VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2018) The United States puts at risk the nuclear nonproliferation regime for "extraneous purposes" by imposing sanctions on Iran over its alleged destabilizing activities in the middle East, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov told Sputnik on Monday.The second package of US sanctions, re-introduced after Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and targeting in particular Tehran's oil sector, took effect earlier in the day.
"Washington explains its decision by its determination to counter Iran's activities in the region, which it considers harmful. The result is that the interests of nuclear nonproliferation are sacrificed for extraneous goals," Ulyanov said.
According to the diplomat, the US "defiant" move proves that Washington, contrary to is claims, does not regard nonproliferation as a foreign policy priority.
"In general, one can say that the interests of nuclear nonproliferation are not placed in the hierarchy of Washington's foreign policy priorities as high as it is declared, otherwise the United States would not have acted so irresponsibly and defiantly," he concluded.
In May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal, and reimpose its sanctions against Iran that had been lifted under the agreement. The first round of the US restrictions entered into force in August.
The other remaining signatories to the nuclear deal - Russia, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union - have condemned the US decision, stressing that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms Iran's full compliance with the accord.
