Washington tightens Iran's sanctions and clarifies its position on the military option

Washington announced new sanctions against Iran, and at the same time said that military action against Tehran should be the last option.

The US Treasury announced on Tuesday that it had imposed sanctions on an Iranian naval ship network, accusing it of smuggling what it described as deadly aid from the Revolutionary Guards to Yemen.

The ministry also imposed sanctions on three sales agents for the Iranian private airline Mahan, based in the UAE and Hong Kong.

The Treasury Department statement indicated that the US State Department imposed sanctions on "Mahan" company on Tuesday, according to an executive order targeting the proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters.

In a Washington press conference, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the sanctions affected the Mahan company because of the transfer of Iranian weapons to Yemen, adding that the sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran are not directed against the people but against the regime until it commits itself to acting as a representative of a normal country. His expression.

Referring to further sanctions, Pompeo added that his country would continue to exert maximum pressure on Iran.

And on the exchange of prisoners with Iran, the American minister stated that his administration is making all efforts to bring American citizens to their country, noting that there are still Americans protesting in Iran.

For her part, said US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagos that the policy of maximum pressure by Washington on Tehran continues despite the exchange of prisoners. She added in statements to the island that the goal is to push Iran to act as a natural country.

Iran had released a Chinese American a few days ago in exchange for the United States releasing an Iranian scientist who had been detained for more than 14 months.

Military option
For his part, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Miley said that the use of military force against Iran should not be Washington's first choice but rather the last.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Miley added that restraint is the appropriate response, up to now, against Iran.

A few months ago, after Iranian forces shot down a US airliner, Iran and the United States appeared to be on the brink of a military confrontation, and President Donald Trump said that he had retreated at the last moment from a military strike against Iran in response to the downing of the drone and attacks on oil tankers and cargo ships, and Tehran was accused Involved, although she strongly denies this

Plot failure
In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country would use all means, including negotiation and dialogue, to confront US sanctions.

Rouhani added during the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday that Tehran was able to thwart US plots, he said.

On the other hand, Iran has warned its nationals, especially the elites and scholars, against traveling to the United States to participate in scientific conferences.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the American authorities are taking what they described as the empty political and security pretexts for detaining the Iranians for long periods and in inhumane conditions.

The statement referred to the case of Iranian researcher Masoud Soleimani, who was detained upon his arrival at Chicago airport and remained in detention for 14 months until he was released a few days ago in an exchange of detainees.