Iran's Foreign Ministry says new American sanctions targeting members of Iran's Guardian Council and its Elections Supervision Committee show that the US "fears democracy in Iran", and will have to learn to respect it. RNA - "Those who imposed sanctions, economic terrorism and a campaign of 'maximum pressure' on more than 83 million Iranians - yet failed to achieve their goals - have now turned to targeting Iran's electoral establishments," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Friday.
Noting that Iran has responded with "maximum resistance" against the US, Mousavi said "it is the Americans who will ultimately submit to the will of the Iranian nation and learn to engage with this honorable and enduring nation with respect".
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on five senior members of Iran’s Guardian Council, which is responsible for supervising the electoral process in the country, including the parliamentary elections which are held across the country.
US special representative for Iran Brian Hook - who announced the measures Thursday - accused the officials of preventing free and fair elections.
The sanctions have been ridiculed by Secretary of Iran's Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who was among the sanctioned officials.
"We can't go to the US for Christmas celebrations any longer," Ayatollah Jannati said on Friday.
According to Press TV, the sanctions come as the US has imposed a robust campaign of sanctions coupled with political and military provocations targeting Tehran ever since withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018.
In his Friday remarks, Mousavi said that the Iranian establishment, government and people give "no value" to Washington and its "idiotic sanctions" and will continue onward "with strength".
"These actions signify nothing but the failure and hopelessness of the 'maximum pressure' policy of the American regime," he said.