Iran urges nations to condemn U.S.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday called on the international community to condemn the Trump administration’s decision to blacklist Iran’s financial sector, the country’s official news agency reported.

According to the IRNA report, Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the head of the country’s central bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati, that the U.S. move was “against international law and regulation as well as inhumane,” coming at a time of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Those who claim to support human rights all over the world should condemn” the U.S. decision, Rouhani was quoted as saying.

However, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in Thursday’s statement announcing the sanctions that the “actions will continue to allow for humanitarian transactions to support the Iranian people.”

The U.S. move on Thursday hit 18 Iranian banks that had so far escaped the bulk of reimposed U.S. sanctions and subjects foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with them.

Foreign companies that do business with those banks were given 45 days to wind down their operations before facing so-called secondary sanctions.

Rouhani said the decision will not break the resistance of Iranians.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif arrived in China to discuss bilateral ties with his Chinese counterpart, IRNA said. Zarif on Thursday reacted angrily to the latest designations by the U.S., calling them a “crime against humanity” at a time of global crisis.

Washington’s move will deepen tensions with European nations and others over Iran.