Iran Calls U.S. Sanctions an "International Crime," Says Others Should Not Join; Hints at Return to Diplomacy

[Financial News] The Iranian government, facing sweeping economic sanctions from the United States, condemned the measures as an "international crime" and argued that other countries should not join in. At the same time, Iran said a diplomatic rapprochement with the United States is still possible.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the 28th local time that the United States' "economic exclusion operation" is an act of state terrorism targeting Iran and the world, and urged all countries to refrain from joining the sanctions. The ministry argued that Washington's use of the dollar as a tool to threaten other countries and force its interventionist, international-law-violating policies on Iran amounts to a violation of the sovereignty and right to self-determination of all UN member states.
It added that declaring economic war on Iran is an extension of the aggression campaign waged by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran on false and baseless pretexts, and warned that it threatens regional and international peace and security.
At the same time, it said the "economic exclusion operation" proves a criminal intent to inflict pain and hardship on the Iranian people and strip them of their basic human rights. It called for the measures to be regarded as an international crime and a crime against humanity.
The ministry also argued that participating in the enforcement of unilateral U.S. sanctions on Iran amounts to joining an illegal attempt by one country to impose its will on a sovereign state and destroy legitimate economic and trade relations.
The United States, which has been at war with Iran for nearly six months after joining Israel in an attack that began in February, said on the 24th that it would carry out an economic exclusion operation targeting Iran. Washington warned that third countries engaging in oil trade or other financial transactions with Iran would face secondary sanctions. In an interview on the 26th, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked how much time he would give Iran to return to negotiations. He replied, "There is no timetable," adding, "We are not in a hurry, and we have set no deadline." He also claimed, "We are winning very big," and said Iran is suffering from severe inflation and its economy is collapsing.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media platform X on the 28th that "it is not impossible to get diplomacy back on track." He stressed that such a diplomatic solution depends on whether the United States recognizes that "pressure does not work." Araghchi also added that the United States must build trust, speak with respect, recognize Iran's rights, and honor its commitments.
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