US not even hiding its desire to make the world bend to its will: Russia

Published April 24, 2019
Russia says that “Washington is not even hiding its desire to make the world bend to its will,” branding the heightened Iran sanctions “disturbing”. — AFP/File
Russia says that “Washington is not even hiding its desire to make the world bend to its will,” branding the heightened Iran sanctions “disturbing”. — AFP/File

Russia on Tuesday called the US tightening of oil sanctions on Iran an “aggressive and reckless” policy after Washington announced it was seeking to stop all exports of Iranian crude.

“Such a course of action adds nothing to the Americans' international standing,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The rest of the world perfectly understands that Washington's policy is becoming more and more aggressive and reckless,” it said.

The ministry said that “Washington is not even hiding its desire to make the world bend to its will,” branding the heightened Iran sanctions “disturbing”.

The United States on Monday announced that, in a bid to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, it would from May 2 end US waivers that countries such as India, China, South Korea and Turkey currently have on buying Iranian crude.

The move targets the Islamic Republic's main economic earner and adds to sanctions pressure that has built up under US President Donald Trump, who has pulled his country out of a 2015 international deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme.

Russia, which is allied with Iran in Syria, praised Tehran's “restraint” over “the arrogant American provocations”.

It called for all parties “with common sense” to do what they can to ensure the accord over Iran's nuclear activities survives.

Trump's decision to do away with the waivers has seen global oil prices rise, along with commercial tensions with China and India.

Opinion

Editorial

Crop concerns
27 Mar, 2023

Crop concerns

AFTER last year’s heatwave that caused wheat grains to shrink significantly, the ongoing wet spell in Punjab and...
Higher learning
Updated 27 Mar, 2023

Higher learning

It is unfortunate that universities in Pakistan — with a few honourable exceptions — are hardly delivering world-class graduates.
Nur Jehan’s suffering
27 Mar, 2023

Nur Jehan’s suffering

FOR years, she was a star attraction for children visiting the Karachi Zoo who delighted in taking rides on her ...
Dickensian misery
Updated 26 Mar, 2023

Dickensian misery

Analysts warn we can expect inflationary pressures to get progressively worse over the remainder of the month.
Dog-bite cases
26 Mar, 2023

Dog-bite cases

AWAY from the hurly-burly of politics, Pakistan’s considerable healthcare challenges cry out for attention. ...
Life-changing chatbot…
26 Mar, 2023

Life-changing chatbot…

THE arrival and impressive performance of the generative artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT has left the world...