A lawmaker denounced a recent US decision to expand a list of medical equipment requiring federal authorization for sale to Iran, slamming it for being "against all humanitarian principles".
The newly inaugurated US Republican President Donald Trump promised to adopt a tough line on Iran as he campaigned for the White House.
His administration on Friday imposed fresh sanctions against 13 individuals and 12 entities over a recent ballistic missile test-launch by the Islamic Republic.
"Sanctions on medical equipment show that Trump recognizes no humanitarian principle and is keen to advance his partisan interests at any cost. Iran will counter such measures through strong diplomacy," Jahanbakhsh Mohebbinia also said in a talk with ICANA on Saturday.
He was echoing the view of the director of Iran's Food and Drug Administration, Rasoul Dinarvand, who said extending the list is "inhumane".
Dinarvand said the equipment is used in medical diagnosis and treatment.
Iran has conducted several successful missile tests since the Iran nuclear deal took effect in January 2016, but the latest launch late last month was the first after Trump's swearing-in days earlier.
Trump's predecessor Barack Obama eased sanctions on Iran as part of the landmark agreement, including a ban on the sale of many medical devices, affecting products used for nuclear medicine purposes with possible uses in an atomic weapons program.
Iran denies having ever considered developing a nuclear weapon, saying its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. This has been verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Out to please the Israeli lobby in the US and sell more weapons to Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration has said the new sanctions are just an opening salvo.
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