OREANDA-NEWS. New US sanctions against the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and its head Ali Akbar Salehi are pointless and won't affect the republic’s nuclear program. This was stated on Friday by the official representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi.

"Sanctions against Salehi speak of US desperation and will not affect the development of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program", the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying. He added that, "Washington’s actions are likely to be motivated by a desire to divert attention from the impeachment of President Donald Trump and the imminent failure of the" deal of the century".

On Thursday, the US Treasury announced the introduction of new sanctions against the OAEI and its head. According to Brian Hook, the United States Special Representative for Iran, the organization played an important role in violating Tehran’s key obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.

On Tuesday, Trump, together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced in Washington the key provisions of the so-called deal of the century - a plan for a peaceful Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which is based on the mutual recognition of the two states. Washington suggests inextricably linking Palestinian territory, consisting of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with high-speed transport links, and recognizing only part of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Arab state (according to Netanyahu, we are talking about the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis).