Moscow Ties Unaffected by Sanctions

New US sanctions will have no negative effect on the cooperation between Iran and Russia, particularly in the technical and military fields, says Moscow’s ambassador in Tehran. Russia even plans to increase its cooperation with Iran in the fight against terrorism, Levan Dzhagaryan said in a recent interview with Interfax, Fars News Agency reported on Monday. “Iran is Russia’s strategic partner, and Moscow will maintain this view on Iran in the long run,” the ambassador said. Washington has for years targeted Iran and Russia with sanctions over various issues, including alleged human rights violations and their policies. In August 2017, US President Donald Trump signed a sweeping sanctions measure against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Congress justified the new set of sanctions against Russia and the refinement of existing ones because of Moscow’s alleged interference in the 2016 US election, alleged human rights abuses, and its Ukraine policy, according to CNN. The measure also targets Iran’s ballistic missile program as well as its alleged support for terrorism and human rights violations.