TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday strongly condemned the U.S. government's new sanctions on several vessels as well as natural and legal persons accused of being involved in the sale of Iran's crude oil.

He made the remarks in a statement released by the ministry two days after the U.S. Department of the Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.S. Department of State were imposing sanctions on "over 30 persons and vessels in multiple jurisdictions for their role in brokering the sale and transportation of Iranian petroleum-related products."

Baghaei described the new sanctions as being in "contradiction with the principles of the United Nations Charter, particularly the one urging respect for countries' national sovereignty and the one pertaining to their right to self-determination, as well as international law governing free trade among states."

The U.S. imposition of the sanctions was a "wrong, unjustified and illegitimate move and in violation of Iranians' human rights," he said, adding the move would make the U.S. government internationally accountable.

He pointed to certain U.S. officials' claims of willingness to interact with Iran, saying the imposition of sanctions against Iranian people was the "biggest proof of their insincerity and a clear indication of the U.S. policymakers' hostility against Iranians' well-being, development and happiness."

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said Monday the sanctions were imposed "pursuant to Executive Orders 13902 and 13846, which target Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors," and marked the second round of sanctions targeting the country's oil sales since U.S. President Donald Trump ordered on Feb. 4 a "campaign of maximum pressure" to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. Enditem

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