Hosseini said on Saturday that sanctions against Iran have actually started a long time ago and the West is conducting a psychological operation by setting new deadlines.
“Westerners set unreal deadlines as the time to toughen sanctions in order to create a psychological atmosphere in the country,” Hosseini said.
Hosseini stated that specific dates have been determined to impose new sanctions with the purpose of exerting more pressure on Iran.
On January 23, the European Union (EU) foreign ministers approved new sanctions against Tehran and set July 1 as the time when the embargoes take effect.
The sanctions prevent all the EU member states from purchasing Iran's oil or extending insurance coverage for tankers carrying Iranian crude.
The US administration in late March approved sanctions on Iranian crude oil sector, which penalize other countries for buying or selling Iranian crude oil. The sanctions were scheduled to come into effect on June 28.
The sanctions have been slapped based on the allegation that Iran is seeking to acquire military nuclear capability.
Tehran refutes such allegations, noting that frequent inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency have never found any diversion in Iran's nuclear energy program toward military purposes.
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