Iran warns to retaliate U.S. new sanctions

Iranian officials on Wednesday unanimously denounced Washington's fresh sanctions against Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting that Iran

is used to these kinds of "hostilities" and will give a necessary

response to the new sanctions, official IRNA news agency reported.

"Iranians well know that they should resist and stand against their

enemies," he said. "Over the past 40 years (following the victory of the

Islamic republic in 1979), the Iranians have faced numerous pressures,

sanctions and accusations by the U.S. politicians and their propaganda

machine."

"The American cannot tolerate an independent and influential country in this sensitive region," he said.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that slaps tougher sanctions on Russia, Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Sanctions against Iran is mainly in response to Tehran's growing

missile program. The bill should be approved by the Senate and signed by

the president in order to become legal.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said Iran maintains its right to respond to the United States if the latter does not comply with the nuclear deal.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that

the fresh sanctions by the United States will have adverse impacts on

the "successful" implementation of the nuclear deal, official IRNA news

agency reported.

Given the U.S. commitments, "they should have implemented the nuclear

deal (JCOPA) with goodwill and in constructive atmosphere, and they

should have avoided the measures which might have (negative) impacts on

the successful implementation of the deal," Araqchi, also senior Iranian

nuclear negotiator, was quoted as saying.

However, the recent move of the U.S. congress to impose sanctions on

Iran runs counter to the U.S. commitments, Araqchi told reporters.

"Iran will definitely respond to the U.S. hostile move," he noted.

On Friday, Araqchi told media in Vienna that the 2015 Iran nuclear

deal should be fully implemented in all aspects, and that Tehran is not

satisfied with the United States because of the sanctions imposed on

Iran over its ballistic missile program.

During his presidential campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump

quarreled with the Iranian nuclear deal, achieved during the

administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama. The Trump administration is now reconsidering U.S. policy on Iran.

Iran and six world powers, namely Britain, China, France, Germany,

Russia and the United States, reached an agreement on the Iranian

nuclear issue in July 2015, which put Tehran on the path of sanctions

relief but with more strict limits on its nuclear program.

Besides, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said

Wednesday that the U.S. Congress bill against Iran will jeopardize the

implementation of the JCPOA.

The U.S. fresh sanctions against Iran is "an illegal and insulting

act," Qasemi said, adding that the United States should not overlook its

obligation vis-a-vis the nuclear deal.

Moreover, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier

General Massoud Jazayeri condemned the U.S. congressional decisions and

warned Washington to be more cautious about its approaches toward the

Islamic Republic, Tasnim news agency reported.

Jazayeri said that Iranian armed forces, heedless of U.S. pressures,

"will push their ways to reach the peaks of progress and will make it

(the United States) regret its mischievous acts.