Russia Vows to Cooperate With Iran in Banking Sphere in Defiance of US ‘Highest Ever’ Sanctions
September 20th, 2019 The development comes as the United States and Iran are experiencing a new low in their relations on the heels of the recent drone attack against Saudi oil refineries that Washington and its allies have swiftly blamed on Tehran - a claim that the Islamic Republic vehemently rejects. The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the latest batch of sanctions introduced against Iranian institutions, calling them "illegitimate". "This will not affect our approaches to Iran. As we planned, we will continue to cooperate with Iran in the banking sector. This will have no effect [on Russia's position]," Russian Foreign Ministry Second Asian Department Director Zamir Kabulov said. The announcement comes as President Trump stated that the United States is introducing sanctions on Iran. "We have just sanctioned the Iranian national bank," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, later clarifying that he was referring to the Irania