Iran will continue nuclear negotiations with world powers in Geneva despite measures taken by the US targeting several companies and individuals for supporting Tehran\’s nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday on his Facebook page.
The United States on Thursday black-listed 19 additional companies and people under sanctions aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining the capability to make nuclear weapons, US officials said. Iran says its program is purely peaceful.
“The Americans have taken improper measures in the last few days and we have given the appropriate response to them after considering all aspects of the issue,” Zarif said, adding the response will be "a proper, calculated, purposeful and smart."
Iranian negotiators halted nuclear talks in Vienna on Thursday to return to Tehran for consultations after Washington\’s new measures, Fars quoted one of the negotiators as saying.
Iran\’s deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the semi-official Fars news agency on Friday that the new measures were "against the spirit of the Geneva deal."
According to the interim Geneva deal, that was signed between Iran and six world powers on November 24, the Islamic Republic would curb its nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions over the next six months.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not be pressured, warning that new sanctions "could kill the deal".
Russia on Friday echoed Iran\’s criticism of the new measures.
"The US administration\’s decision goes against the spirit of this document," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"Widening American \’blacklists\’ could seriously complicate the fulfillment of othe Geneva agreement, which proposes easing the sanctions regime," Zakharova said in a statement.
US officials have said the blacklisting move showed that the Geneva deal would not interfere with their policy of economic embargoes designed to curb entities suspected of supporting Iran\’s nuclear program.
Some US lawmakers are pushing for further sanctions to be imposed against Iran but President Barack Obama has campaigned for Congress to hold off on new measures to provide space for the diplomatic process.
In Vienna earlier on Friday, the European Union said that Iran and six world powers needed more time to work out complex technical steps to implement last month\’s deal after four days of expert-level talks.
The new measure, the first such enforcement action since the first step agreement was reached in Geneva, targeted entities that are suspected of involvement in the proliferation of materials for weapons of mass destruction and have tried to evade the current sanctions.
Administration officials said Thursday\’s targets include companies and individuals engaged in transactions on behalf of other companies that the United States has also previously designated under the sanctions. They include Mid Oil Asia, Singa Tankers, Siqiriya Maritime, Ferland Company Limited and Vitaly Sokolenko.
The US also named five Iranian entities it said are directly engaged in actions contributing to Iran\’s ability to enrich uranium.
Several other entities related to Iran\’s ballistic missile program were also targeted.
Despite these measures, Zarif said talks would continue and said the negotiations would have ups and downs, something that was expected from the very beginning.
He urged others in Iran not to rush to announce the Geneva deal\’s "early death," saying Tehran will answer all the criticism and ambiguities in appropriate time."
The powers who negotiated the interim deal on Iran\’s nuclear program – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States – are continuing negotiations with a goal of reaching a comprehensive final deal in six months.