Baqaei, in a statement carried by the Foreign Ministry late on Saturday, criticized the United States’ newly announced sanctions that target more than two dozen individuals and entities accused of being engaged in commercial and banking activities with Iran.

The sanctions are in line with the United States’ controversial maximum pressure campaign, he said, dismissing the measure as both inhumane and futile.

Baqaei further asserted that such unilateral actions flagrantly contravene established international legal principles, reinforcing the perception of long-standing hostility from the U.S. administration.

The official said that the coercive economic restrictions, which are designed to exacerbate hardships for Iranian citizens and deprive them of fundamental human rights, would only serve to fortify Iran’s determination in safeguarding its legitimate national interests against the U.S.'s excessive demands.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions on Saturday, designating over 30 Iranian individuals and entities for what it described as money laundering in line with Iran’s “shadow banking” network.