The government of Iran spoke out
against sanctions approved by the European Union on July 27. The Foreign
Affairs Ministry called the sanctions, which consist of trade restrictions due
to Iran’s continued production of low-enriched uranium for power generation and
medical uses, “ineffective and unconstructive.”
EU governments claim that Iran is
attempting to build nuclear weapons, while the government of Iran says that its
nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.
“These sanctions neither assist the process of
negotiations nor [weaken] the will of the Iranian nation … regarding their
peaceful nuclear program,” said Ramin Mehman-Parast, a representative of
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Mehman-Parast also stated that sanctions went
against efforts being made to increase trust between Iran and the European
Union.
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, along with
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, applauded the sanctions, whereas the
government of Russia condemned them as counterproductive.
Iran has the right to nuclear technology. U.S./EU: Hands
off!
