Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Imposing new sanctions against Iran will hurt EU`s image, Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, ISNA news agency reported on Nov. 19.
This is a politic decision she said at the weekly press conference in Tehran, commenting that the EU should issue constructive policies in the period while Iran and E3+3 talk on the country's nuclear issue.
Afkham condemned the decision saying "this step will boost distrust between Iran and the Europe Union".
On Nov. 14, Reuters reported that the European Union will re-impose asset freezes on several Iranian companies annulled this year by court order.
EU diplomats said the move was to re-establish sanctions already imposed, rather than increasing pressure on Iran. Any new sanctions could risk scuppering a deal that global powers hope to reach with Iran at talks that start on Nov. 20.
It is the first time the EU has sought to address legal challenges by imposing new measures against previously listed targets instead of trying to win appeals. This reflects growing concern that sanctions could be difficult to defend in court.
The EU has in the past appealed against sanctions being quashed, for example after the court overturned them on Bank Mellat and Bank Saderat, among the biggest private banks in Iran , earlier this year.