Iran said on Monday that West would be the main loser of sanctions on the country over its nuclear program as the European Union (EU) strengthened its sanctions on the Islamic Republic amid worries that it is moving to the atomic weaponry developments.
The newly adopted restrictive measures placed a number of additional names on the lists of persons and entities subject to EU sanctions, including travel restrictions and assets freeze. About 100 new entities related with the Iranian authorities were added to the EU sanctions list, said an EU senior diplomat.
The influential Iranian lawmaker, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said that Americans and Westerners are aware that those who impose sanctions would be the major losers.
Boroujerdi, head of Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said: "We have been facing the sanctions and embargo over past 30 years, but nothing special has happened inside the country and Iran will continue its way with increased momentum."
"Americans are aware that many of their firms are trying to secure their own interests and they will keep contacts with Iranian companies in any possible way. So sanctions will not work much influentially," he was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency.
Last Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that it had frozen the assets of the Iranian Bank of Industry and Mines for its alleged involvement in facilitating transactions to support Iran's proliferation activities and suspected nuclear program.
On Monday, Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, another member of Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said Iran's Foreign Ministry will sue Switzerland at the United Nations as Geneva refrains from delivering fuel to Iran Air airplanes following the U.S.-led sanctions, the local satellite press TV reported.
"The move counters the international law. According to international conventions, all countries are duty-bound to provide passenger jets with necessary fuel," Naqavi-Hosseini was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Ahmadi-Bighash claimed that Iran "reserves the right to counter" Switzerland's refusal to provide fuel to the planes of Iran's state-owned airliner, Press TV said on Monday.
"Switzerland along with certain Western states are clearly pursuing the policies of the United States in the international arena. Therefore, they take actions against Iran in violation of diplomatic norms and international treaties," he said.
"The West uses immoral behavior for reaching its arrogant goals, " he added.
According to the report, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation of Switzerland said Friday the planes of Iran Air would not be allowed to refuel at the Geneva airport.
In April, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said Iran stopped the fuel supply for some Western airliners to retaliate their refusal to fuel Iranian aircraft at their airports.
Iran is under sanction pressures by the United States, European Union and other Western countries over its controversial nuclear program, which the West believe is moving to the atomic weaponry developments. "We want them to move forward with nuclear talks, it is very important that we keep the pressure on," the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters before the meeting of foreign ministers of 27 EU members.
However, Tehran denied the allegations, claiming that its nuclear program is for civilian and peaceful purpose.