Russia dissatisfied with recent US sanctions against Iran

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in a meeting with Iran’s new Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanayee expressed displeasure with the fresh sanctions imposed by Washington on Tehran after the Geneva deal. During the meeting in Moscow on Monday, Ryabkov expressed the hope that Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) would make more efforts to maintain the achievements of their late November deal in Geneva. He also described the relations between Tehran and Moscow as strategic, and underlined that the two countries’ common policies on regional issues pave the way for the settlement of the current problems. The US Treasury Department on Thursday added names of 19 individuals and Iranian and foreign companies to the sanction list. According to the statement of the US Treasury Department, companies such as; Ayvaz Technic, Marow Sanat, Negin Partou Khavar, Quds Aerial Sanaye, and Iran's Aerial Industry Organization are under sanctions. Asia mid-oil company, Sanka Tanker Company, registered in Singapore, and Fairland Company are in the list, too. On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) sealed an interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the dispute between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear energy program. In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the six countries undertook to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The United States also agreed to refrain from slapping new sanctions on Iran, but senior administration officials argued that Thursday's measures were taken as part of the existing sanctions regime against Tehran. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham lashed out at the US, particularly the US Treasury Department, for imposing fresh sanctions against the Iranian firms and individuals. Afkham stressed that unfortunately we are witnessing serious confusion in the US officials approaches, decisions and statements. She added while the US officials are apparently trying to convince some members of the US Congress to prevent approval of new sanctions against Iran, the US Treasury and State Departments are doing a useless move to impose sanctions against Iranian companies and several foreign firms. Afkham continued that some groups inside and outside of the US government are trying to kill Geneva deal, adding that these people think that sanctions, not understanding, are the final solution.