In an indirect response to the U.S. envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, Iran's chief negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, stated that while the former U.S. president has left, his unjust sanctions are still ongoing. He tweeted today, "There is no need to shed crocodile tears while the United States continues to besiege 82 million Iranians." He also added that the economic blockade during the pandemic constitutes a crime against humanity.
These statements came after Malley expressed his sadness yesterday over the death of detainee Sasan Sasan Niknafse in Greater Tehran Prison. He tweeted, "The 36-year-old prisoner, a father of two, was imprisoned unjustly for expressing his views on social media and was cruelly denied medical care." Malley emphasized the need for Iran to respect human rights, condemning such violations. The mentioned detainee died in prison, where he was serving a five-year sentence for "propaganda against the state," a charge often leveled by the judiciary against many opposers or critics of the government policies and activists on social media.
It is worth mentioning that Aragchi's response coincides with the start of the sixth round of Iranian nuclear negotiations today in Vienna, Austria, as he himself announced yesterday. The issue of sanctions remains one of the sticking points in the talks that began in early April 2021. However, Washington has recently indicated some flexibility regarding its willingness to lift sanctions after previously removing sanctions on three officials and two companies in Iran.
Nonetheless, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh did not consider this U.S. move as a sign of goodwill. He stated in a tweet, "The U.S. selective delistings are unrelated to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear agreement) and are not viewed as goodwill gestures."
