Malaysia PM:

US Sanctions against Iran Not Lawful under UN Provisions

TEHRAN (defapress) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad condemned US sanctions against Iran, saying they are not lawful under UN provisions.

News ID: 79198

Date: 04 November 2019 - 13:47

“When you apply sanctions, it is against the law. There is no provision in the United Nations that a country which is dissatisfied with another country can impose sanctions on that country and other countries trading with that nation,” Mahathir Mohamad said speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits.

“The sanctions don’t apply to one country alone,” he said, adding that Malaysia is now being sanctioned as well.

Despite Washington’s sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Malaysia has maintained good diplomatic relations with the country.

Without singling out any country, Mahathir criticized those who “talk so much” about the rule of law, rule-based trade and relations and yet were not adhering to their own principles.

Mahathir's remarks came amid reports denoting that banks in Malaysia are closing the accounts of Iranian individuals and companies, in what is believed to be a measure linked to sanctions imposed by Washington against Tehran after the former left the landmark Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Since quitting the JCPOA, US President Donald Trump has been running what he refers to as a "maximum pressure" campaign, which seeks to pressure Iran into negotiating a new deal that addresses its ballistic missile program and regional influence.

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