Sanctions akin to economic terrorism: Iranian envoy
THE illegal sanctions imposed by the United States on Zimbabwe are a form of economic terrorism against the country’s citizens, Iranian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Abbas Navazani has said.
Ambassador Navazani said this after paying a courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Iranian ambassador said they had also discussed various issues of interest.
These include trade and economic relations and boosting parliamentary diplomacy.
“We also discussed the international arena issues, the illegal sanctions that come for the US against our friends Zimbabwe and Iran,” he said.
“We support Zimbabwe against these illegal sanctions, we consider these sanctions against ordinary Zimbabweans as economic terrorism.
“They have targeted the economy of Zimbabwe and also Iranian economy.”
He added that Iran would continue working with Zimbabwe.
The Palestine issue and Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme also came up for discussion.
Just like Zimbabwe, Iran has been under illegal US sanctions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the pro-US, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The sanctions have been strengthened on various occasions with the toughest coming, especially against Iran’s nuclear programme.
This is despite the fact the International Atomic Energy Agency certifying the programme to be aboveboard on numerous occasions.
The sanctions were partially eased following the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran, the US under President Barack Obama, the EU, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany.
However, the agreement was affectively collapsed by the pull-out of the US under President Donald Trump.