“Countries
that have regularly committed the harshest violence against their own citizens,
especially against women and minorities, people of color, aboriginals, natives
and immigrants and have never had the least courage to strongly protest or
condemn the crimes of the child-killing Zionist regime have no right to shed
crocodile tears for the Iranian nation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser
Kanaani said in a press release.
In a statement on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said, "Mahsa’s tragic and senseless death in the custody of Iran’s
so-called 'Morality Police' sparked demonstrations across Iran that were met
with unspeakable violence, mass arrests, systemic internet disruptions and
censorship by the Iranian regime."
Kanaani
described such moves and meddlesome remarks as “laughable and hypocritical
shows”.
“Unfortunately, certain sides that have a dark historical
record on human rights issues and women in a coordinated move and despicable
efforts have issued worthless political statements to provoke sedition in the
Islamic Republic of Iran by beating the drums of repetitive and ineffective
sanctions,” Kanaani pointed out.
The Foreign Ministry official despised the unlawful and
undiplomatic moves of these countries and said it is better for the Europeans
to acknowledge that the continuation of such unconstructive behaviors will
never meet their interests and should adopt a new policy based on respect
toward the great and civilized Iranian nation and the national sovereignty of
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The ministry spokesman concluded his remarks by saying that
it is quite clear that the far-sighted Iranian people and the government as
well as responsible security bodies will not waver in upholding collective
security under the negative propaganda and biased moves of the Western
sides.
In a
separate statement, The US Treasury Department also said it imposed sanctions
on more than two dozen people and entities it said were connected to what it
called violent suppression of protests in the wake of Amini's death.
The action targets 29 people and groups, including 18 key
members of the IRGC and Iran's Law Enforcement Forces, as well as the head of
Iran's Prisons Organizations, the department said. They also target officials
linked to Iran's internet blockade and several media outlets.
Douran Software
Technologies CEO Alireza Abedinejad as well as media organizations Press TV,
Tasnim and Fars news agencies were also among those sanctioned.
The British government also announced sanctions against
several Iranian officials, including the culture minister, his deputy and the
mayor of Tehran.
