Official: Sanctions fail to stop Iran’s marine industry
Iran’s marine industry cannot be threatened and stopped and despite all pressures, said the head of Iran’s Port and Maritime Organization.
Addressing a forum in Tehran on Sunday, Mohammad Rastad downplayed US pressures and sanctions against Iran’s shipping and marine industry, reported Fars News Agency.
He added that two months after the start of the new round of sanctions, US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State Brian Hook issued a statement against Tehran which was full of lies to restrict Iran’s shipping but the International Maritime Organization (IMO) gave a strong response to him, saying that Iranian ships are all sailing across the world based on global standards.
Rastad said that Secretary General of the IMO Kitack Lim visited Iran last year and described Iran as one of the most effective, influential and powerful IMO members.
The second batch of sanctions went into effect on November 5 after US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 deal, which was signed by Iran and six world powers in 2015.
The latest round of sanctions covered Iran’s shipping, finance and energy sectors, and penalize countries which do not stop dealing with Tehran.