Cuba Expresses Solidarity With Iran In Conflict With US - Foreign Minister

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2019) The authorities of Cuba have expressed solidarity with Iran in its conflict with the United States, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said.

"We express our solidarity with the Islamic Republic of #Iran in the face of a new #US aggressive escalation against that sister nation. We call for dialogue and cooperation, based on the principles of International Law. That is the only way to settle differences & preserve peace," Rodriguez said on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he approved new US sanctions on Iran to hold Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates responsible for the country's "hostile conduct."

Trump said the sanctions seek to "deny the Supreme Leader and the Supreme Leader's office, and those closely affiliated with him and the office, access to key financial resources and support.

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He added that the move comes partly in response to recent escalations, including the downing of a US Navy drone over the Strait of Hormuz and the series of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran last week said it downed a US surveillance drone flying over the coastal Hormozgan province after it violated the country's airspace. US Central Command said that the drone was shot down while operating over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the incident, Trump said he ordered but later called off US military strikes on Iran, deciding instead to unveil new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated since last year, when Trump pulled the US out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran and began reimposing sanctions on the country.