Iranian parliament speaker calls new U.S. sanctions “unjust” after Baghdad remarks

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in Baghdad that he considered new U.S. economic sanctions “unjust,” arguing that Iran should plan to withstand them, according to a message shared after his remarks.

Qalibaf, who serves as speaker of Iran’s Parliament, made the comments to a group of economic representatives in Baghdad, where he urged Iranian officials to prepare for the impact of what he described as unjust restrictions. The message circulated around his remarks did not provide detailed information about the sanctions’ scope or specific measures.

The remarks came as U.S. sanctions targeting Iran were described by The Hill as having been placed on the country by the Trump administration earlier in the week. The Hill’s report, which includes the Iranian reaction, was not accompanied in the available record by a White House or Department of State document confirming the sanctions, their legal basis, or their effective date.

The sanctions characterization is therefore presented here as reported by The Hill, rather than as an official, Apex-confirmed action. In the absence of a White House or State Department release in the provided materials, the specific programs, sectors affected, and enforcement mechanisms tied to the reported sanctions cannot be independently verified from the current evidence.

Iranian officials have periodically criticized U.S. economic restrictions as illegitimate and have framed them as measures designed to pressure the country economically. Qalibaf’s statement, as described in the reported message, focused on policy resilience and planning to manage the expected effects of the restrictions.

Baghdad, where Qalibaf spoke, is also a venue where regional economic and political engagement frequently occurs, and the message suggested the comments were directed at how Iran’s domestic economic stakeholders should respond.

For U.S. policy, any sanctions action typically involves legal authorities administered through Treasury and related agencies, along with implementation timelines and compliance guidance. However, the provided record does not include the Trump administration’s written rationale, the cited statutory or executive authority, or any specific deadlines tied to the reported sanctions.

Next steps for verification would be to review a primary U.S. record for the action, such as a White House announcement or a Department of State statement, along with accompanying Treasury documentation. Without those official documents in the current evidence set, Qalibaf’s reaction can be reported as a distinct Iranian political response to sanctions described by a news outlet, but the particulars of the U.S. measures remain unconfirmed here.