Iran Decries US Sanctions on Cuba
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry held the US accountable for the impacts and consequences of the illegal and unjustified American sanctions against the Cuban people.
In a post on his X account on Friday evening, Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran expresses pleasure with the improvement of conditions and nationwide electricity connection in Cuba.
He also reaffirmed Iran’s solidarity and support for the government and people of Cuba as “they strive to overcome the challenging economic conditions they face.”
“The current ordeal and hardship of the Cuban people is a direct result of the illegal and anti-human rights sanctions of the US over the past 66 years against this country, which has caused the deterioration and exhaustion of the civil and economic infrastructure of Cuba,” Baqaei added.
“The US is obviously responsible for the impacts and consequences of the illegal and unjustified sanctions against the Cuban people, which constitute gross violation of the major fundamental human rights of Cubans and are, in many cases, a crime against humanity, and Washington must be held accountable over this issue,” the Iranian spokesman added.
Cuba’s National Defense Council announced prolonged shutdowns on October 23, saying only vital services such as hospitals would stay open.
The energy-saving measures came as the government scrambled to restore power across the nation, which went dark after its largest power plant collapsed and fuel failed to reach other plants, causing the entire energy grid to collapse.
The Cuban government blames the United States’s 62-year-old trade embargo on the island for its economic and energy problems, including the sanctioning of oil tankers that deliver fuel from Venezuela.