Iran president calls on world to condemn new US sanctions

 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday called on international community to condemn Trump administration's decision to blacklist Iran’s financial sector, country's official news ncy reported.

According to IRNA report, Rouhani said in a phone conversation with head of country’s central bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati, that U.S. move was “against international law and regulation as well as inhumane,” coming at a time of coronavirus pandemic.

“Those who claim to support human rights all over world, should condemn" U.S. decision, Rouhani was quoted as saying.

U.S. move on Thursday hit 18 Iranian banks that had so far escaped bulk of re-imposed U.S. sanctions and, more importantly, subjects foreign, n-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with m. Thus, it effectively cuts m off from international financial system.

Foreign companies that do business with those banks were given 45 days to wind down ir operations before facing so-called “secondary sanctions.”

Rouhani said decision, like previous ones by Trump administration, which in 2015 pulled America out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, will t break resistance of Iranians.

Iranian central bank goverr, Hemmati, said U.S. sanctions have created barriers for importing medicine and food to Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif arrived in China to discuss bilateral ties with his Chinese counterpart, IRNA said. Zarif on Thursday reacted angrily to latest designations by U.S., calling m a “crime against humanity” at a time of global crisis.

Washington's move will deepen tensions with European nations and ors over Iran. European countries have opposed blanket financial services blacklisting because it will open up ir biggest banks and and or companies to U.S. penalties for conducting business with Iran that had previously been allowed.

Since withdrawing from nuclear deal, President Donald Trump has steadily increased pressure on Iran by imposing sanctions on its oil sales, blacklisting top government officials and killing a top Iranian general in an airstrike.