Iran accuses US of being 'addicted' to sanctions

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, harshly criticized the United States on Tuesday for its sanctions policy, branding Washington as "addicted" to economic restrictions. In a post on X, Baqaei stated that the US's frequent use of sanctions indicated the country's inability to resort to diplomacy.

Baqaei argued that whenever the US fails to achieve its goals through diplomatic means, it turns to sanctions and escalates their intensity when they don't yield the desired results. He emphasized that this approach has now become a habit for the US, and more dangerously, it has replaced critical thinking.

The Iranian diplomat highlighted Iran's resilience in the face of these sanctions over the decades. He warned that if American politicians continue to rely on this bad habit, they may inadvertently strangle their own chances for a less humiliating exit from the current crisis they have created.

Baqaei's remarks come as the US persists in imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran, following the failure of previous measures to secure political concessions from Tehran. Earlier on August 7, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tweeted that Iran relies on digital assets and shadow banking networks, stating that the regime's reliance on these networks is evidence that economic pressure is working.

Treasury vowed to continue increasing economic pressure, whether in dollars, rials, or crypto, in an effort to dismantle the illicit financial networks that sustain the regime.