Jun 25, 2019 - World

Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mark end of diplomacy

Rebecca Falconer

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei speaks during his meeting with students in Tehran, Iran on October 18, 2017. — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Iranian Leader's Press Office handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi tweeted Tuesday that new U.S. sanctions imposed on the country, including on its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marks the "permanent closure of the path of diplomacy."

What they're saying: "Trump's desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security," Mousavi said in the tweet, translated by Reuters.

The big picture: Escalating tensions with Iran in recent weeks led Trump to authorize and then cancel a military strike on Thursday, calling it a disproportionate response to Iran's downing of an unmanned U.S. drone. The new sanctions form part of the "maximum pressure" campaign that the Trump administration has embarked on following the president's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

What he's saying: Trump stressed during an interview with The Hill on Monday he hoped the sanctions could one day be lifted.

This article has been updated with Trump's comments and to give more context.

Go deeper: Timeline: How Trump and Tehran came to the brink of war

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Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mark end of diplomacy

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