Iran slams recent U.S. sanctions as 'contradictory behavior'

Iran has slammed the US Treasury's recent sanctions on real and legal Iranian individuals linked to the country's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.

"The imposition of new sanctions on the Islamic Republic shows a contradictory behavior on the part of the White House," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a written statement late Friday.

"A government, that talks of returning to the nuclear deal but follows in the footsteps of former US President Donald Trump, sends the message that it is not trustworthy," he stressed.

Khatibzadeh said various US administrations "have proved the extent of their incapability" to understand the realities of Iran.

He went on to say that such moves are a "continuation" of the Trump administration's "failed policy of maximum pressure and its illegal and oppressive sanctions."

The ministry spokesperson also underlined that such policy has failed to produce any results and it will not yield anything "but new setbacks for the US," adding that the pressures and sanctions will not undermine the determination of his country to "defend" its people's security and peace.

"Tehran will forcefully continue down the path of sustainable development," Khatibzadeh also noted.

The US Treasury Department said on Friday it imposed sanctions on a network of entities and individuals, including a top commander, in connection with Iran's UAV program.

In a statement, the department claimed that the targeted companies and individuals were providing critical support to the UAV programs of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its expeditionary unit, the IRGC Quds Force.