Dehghani:

US-led sanctions on Cuba contravene intl. law

TEHRAN (defapress) – Head of international security affairs Gholamhossein Dehghani said Wed. that the ongoing economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by US against Cuba ran counter to the principles of international law.

News ID: 66823

Date: 02 November 2017 - 18:00

The General Assembly on Wednesday adopted its annual resolution calling for an end to the United States-led economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba, expressing near universal concern over President Donald Trump’s announced intention to tighten the blockade, a reversal from the previous Administration’s efforts to normalize relations.

Of the 193 Member States, 191 voted in favor with the US and Israeli regime voting against, signifying a shift in policy from last year when both sides abstained from the vote for the first time since it was tabled in 1992.

Speaking at the session, Iran’s head of international security affairs Gholamhossein Dehghani said the ongoing economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba ran counter to the principles of international law as well as the letter and spirit of the Charter.

"Differences between states should be resolved through dialogue based on mutual respect,” he stressed, adding that the embargo against Cuba served no purpose but to inflict hardship on its people, especially women and children.

Citing the international community’s overwhelming position against that embargo, and against the use of unilateral coercive measurers in general, he said the United States had also imposed such measures against Iran based on various pretexts and even following the agreement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015.

"Indeed, such measures had regrettably become a regular part of the United States foreign policy, even in cases where Security Council resolutions had prohibited their use,” he said.

"Iran remains opposed to the applications of such economic and trade measures, as well as extraterritorial actions that impacted free trade between nations,” Dehghani concluded.