Iran has denounced the latest round of sanctions imposed against the country by the European Union and the UK, saying banning Iran’s civil aviation and shipping industry is a blatant example of systematic human rights violations.

According to The Iran Project, in a statement released on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the EU and UK’s sanctions on several Iranian entities and individuals, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), are “unjustifiable, inconsistent with international law, and in violation of the EU and UK’s commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).”

He said the EU and UK justify their sanctions by the “unfounded claim” that Iran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, pointing out that even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself had acknowledged that no Iranian ballistic missiles had been delivered to Russia.

Therefore, he reiterated that using this claim as a pretext for sanctions against Iran is “completely unjustifiable and lacks legitimacy or any legal or rational basis.”

“Freedom of navigation and maritime trade are fundamental principles of international maritime law, and accordingly, the international responsibility of the European parties for violations of international law is evident,” he added.

On Monday, the European Union announced new sanctions against Iran over its alleged support for Russia in the Ukraine war, including targeting vessels and ports it claimed were used to transfer drones and missiles to Russia.