Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says the sanctions imposed against Iran are actually targeting people in European countries, Press TV reported.
"The expense and damage [inflicted] by sanctions and economic pressure imposed against Iran are targeting the people of Western states who are grappling with harsh economic crisis," Salehi said on Saturday during a meeting with South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters in Tehran.
The Iranian foreign minister went on to say that Tehran has managed sanctions against the country by maintaining its political independence in the international arena.
The United States and its European allies imposed further sanctions against Tehran in their efforts to stop the country's peaceful nuclear energy program.
In the latest measure in January, the European Union imposed unilateral sanctions against Tehran, banning member states from importing Iran's oil as of July 2012.
In February, Iran stopped oil exports to British and French firms in line with the decision to end crude exports to six European states in response to the EU sanctions.
The announcement caused a major spike in oil prices pushing the price of crude to over 125 dollars a barrel.
Tehran later announced that it will only continue exporting oil to the EU if the member states guarantee to pay the price and sign medium- and long-term oil purchase contracts.