Turkey, EU denounce U.S. sanctions on Iran

The United States faces international criticism for reinstating sanctions against Iran on Monday. The European Union in a statement said it “regrets” the move and remains committed to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from earlier this year. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday warned the sanctions would not achieve any results. “Cornering is not wise, isolating Iran is dangerous, and punishing the Iranian people is not fair,” he said.

In a video posted online, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the sanctions as an “assault” on the country. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the move, saying the restrictions would “strangle” Iran’s support of terrorism. The renewed sanctions coincided with the anniversary of the November 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian protesters during the country’s Islamic revolution. Thousands of Iranians rallied in Tehran on Sunday at the site of the former embassy.