The United States has already done everything in its power to enforce its intended restrictions on Iran, so next month's sanctions will not be anything new, a senior lawmaker said.
"There is nothing new left to be imposed by the Americans within the framework of their sanctions policy," Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Al-Alam News Network in remarks carried by ISNA on Monday.
US sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports come into force as of Nov. 4, with Washington ratcheting up pressure on governments and companies around the world to slash their Iranian oil imports to zero.
However, the administration of US President Donald Trump—who withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year and reimposed the first tranche of sanctions on Tehran in August—has said it could consider exemptions for countries that have already made efforts to reduce their Iranian oil imports.
Falahatpisheh added that unlike the sanctions imposed on Iran before the conclusion of the nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015, the new restrictions have been unilaterally imposed so they are not supported by the United Nations Security Council or other world powers.
Sense of Optimism
"In the past, the world was backing the United States, but now only a few countries are lending support to America," he said, adding that Iranian officials are "optimistic" about Europe's proposal to salvage the nuclear pact after the US exit.
"The Europeans have announced that they will submit their action plan before Nov. 4, which will help create a mechanism for financial and banking transactions and guarantee Iranian oil sales and similar trade."
In a sign of the growing divide between Washington and its allies, European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, announced last month that the bloc was creating a new payment mechanism to help countries transact with Iran while avoiding US sanctions.
Called Special Purpose Vehicle, the mechanism would assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with the Islamic Republic.
Mogherini said the SPV could be in place before the second batch of US sanctions kicks in.
Falahatpisheh noted that the Europeans may face some restrictions in their efforts to maintain trade with Iran, but the important thing is that the political relationship between Tehran and the EU has become stronger.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been trying to turn sanctions into opportunities," he said, adding that US pressure provided the country with an opportunity to implement reforms in its economic and financial sectors.
Strait of Hormuz
Asked about Tehran's threat in the past that it may choose to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if Washington tries to cut Iranian oil exports, the top lawmaker said such a measure is "not on Iran's agenda at all".
He said the warning was meant to serve as a reminder that Iran has played a major role in protecting the vital waterway so far and any hostile attempt against it would undermine security in the strait—through which a third of the world's seaborne crude oil supplies passes.
"We believe that the current situation will be resolved soon because the Americans will not be able to achieve their objectives and will eventually have to lift the sanctions," Falahatpisheh added.
