Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi tweeted Tuesday that new U.S. sanctions imposed on the country, including on its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marks the "permanent closure of the path of diplomacy."
What they're saying: "Trump’s desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security," Mousavi said in the tweet, translated by Reuters.
The big picture: Escalating tensions with Iran in recent weeks led Trump to authorize and then cancel a military strike on Thursday, calling it a disproportionate response to Iran's downing of an unmanned U.S. drone. The new sanctions form part of the "maximum pressure" campaign that the Trump administration has embarked on following the president's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
What he's saying: Trump stressed during an interview with The Hill on Monday he hoped the sanctions could one day be lifted.
President Trump: "America's a peace-loving nation. We do not seek conflict with Iran, or any other country. I look forward to the day when sanctions can be finally lifted and Iran can become a peaceful, prosperous, and productive nation." https://t.co/R9dM585QL1 pic.twitter.com/OYzDr728qx
— The Hill (@thehill) June 25, 2019
This article has been updated with Trump's comments and to give more context.
Go deeper: Timeline: How Trump and Tehran came to the brink of war
