New US Sanctions Against Iran 'War of Nerves' - Tehran

The day before, the US Treasury announced that twenty Iranian entities, including four banks, would be targeted by new sanctions.

The new US sanctions against Iranian companies are psychological warfare, Washington disregards international law, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

"We regard this step as open outrage by the United States against international legal mechanisms that is associated with the blind hatred of the US towards the people of Iran," ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, calling the new sanctions "part of the psychological war and pressure" on Iran by Washington.

On October 16, the US Treasury Department announced that it had imposed sanctions on 20 entities for allegedly providing support to Iran's Basij Resistance Force.

The designations target four Iranian banks — Bank Mellat, Sina Bank, Parsian Bank and Mehr Eqtesad Bank — and five investment firms, including the Negin Sahel Royal Company and Mehr Eqtesad Financial Group.

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In May, the United States withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and re-imposed sanctions against Tehran and any country doing business with Iranian companies. The first batch of economic restrictions took effect in August and more are expected to come into force in November.