Russia Regrets SWIFT Bowed To US Pressure On Iran Sanctions - Foreign Ministry

Moscow regrets that the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) financial messaging service, obeying US sanctions, disconnected Iran from the system, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2018) Moscow regrets that the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) financial messaging service, obeying US sanctions, disconnected Iran from the system, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

The SWIFT banking network announced earlier this month that it had suspended several Iranian banks from its service in light of Washington's move to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"We state with regret that the Brussels-based SWIFT service obeyed to illegal US sanctions, imposed by [US President Donald] Trump administration in November," Zakharova said.

Russia also regrets that the European Union failed to respond to Iran's removal from SWIFT, the senior Russian diplomat stressed.