US Main Loser After New Sanctions on Iran, Russia

A foreign policy advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the United States will certainly be the main loser after imposing sanctions on Iran and Russia.

Ali Akbar Velayati made the statement in a meeting with the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vitaly Naumkin, in Tehran on Sunday, Press TV reported.

"The value of mutual relations between Iran and Russia will become more evident after the sanctions and these relations will become deeper and stronger," he said.

On Thursday, the US Senate voted nearly unanimously to impose new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The Senate backed the measure by a margin of 98-2 with strong support from US President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. The bill has now been sent to the White House for the US president to sign into law or veto.

Velayati said Tehran and Moscow have taken great steps in recent years to boost strategic relations and succeeded in increasing ties, particularly in the field of trade.

He added that the two countries are currently strengthen cooperation in political, economic, security and defense sectors.

Naumkin pointed to the issue of terrorism and said the scourge poses a common threat to Iran and Syria.

The Russian expert said cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terror has produced "significant results", especially in efforts to help ease the Syrian crisis.

  Strong Response

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Velayati said the United States had no right to unilaterally violate the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed between Iran and six major powers, including the US.

"We will definitely give a transparent, clear and strong response to the Americans," he said, noting that the Islamic Republic was capable of adopting reciprocal measures in the face of any US move against the country's national interests.

He emphasized that Iran had always lived up to its commitments under the JCPOA, stressing that the country will continue to enlighten the world public opinion.

Velayati said that if the US breaches JCPOA, other signatories to the deal are duty-bound to counter it.

"What the Americans have so far done is definitely at odds with the letter and spirit of the JCPOA," he said.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia—plus Germany signed the deal on July 14, 2015, and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the agreement, limits were put on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

The UN Security Council later unanimously endorsed a resolution that effectively turned the accord into international law.