TEHRAN- Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iran's foreign minister, has condemned the broad and unilateral sanctions of the U.S. against Iran and Cuba, saying the two nations should use their expertise to oppose the draconian measures.

The statements were made during a Saturday meeting between Amir Abdollahian and Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, who is in Tehran for the 18th session of the Iran-Cuba Joint Economic Committee.

The foreign minister called Cuba an important strategic partner of Iran and called for closer collaboration in a variety of areas.

The joint economic committee, according to Iran's top diplomat, would allow the two nations to examine measures to improve economic and commercial connections as well as political collaboration.

Amir Abdollahian said that Tehran and Havana have a good level of collaboration in the health and treatment sectors, notably in the joint manufacture of the COVID-19 vaccine, and that the Iranian administration is committed to implementing prior agreements and signing new contracts with Cuba.

Cabrisas, for his part, praised Iran's unwavering support for Cuba despite U.S. sanctions.

The Cuban official stated that the economic committee would assist the two nations in strengthening strategic connections and that utilizing bilateral economic capacity would benefit both countries.

For more than 60 years, the United States has imposed a severe economic, financial, and commercial blockade on Cuba. The blockade has been declared illegal by the United Nations General Assembly in a number of resolutions. Washington, on the other hand, has regularly voted against UN resolutions.

“For more than six decades, Cuba has been facing extensive sanctions imposed by the U.S., which have complicated the country’s economy and living conditions of its people, especially at the time of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Iran accused the U.S. and other Western countries of intervening in Cuba's domestic affairs in July, urging Washington to halt its unilateral sanctions against Havana and other countries immediately.

During his campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden promised to change some of his predecessor Donald Trump's Cuba policies that "have inflicted harm on the Cuban people" but he has failed to follow through.

In violation of international law, the United States has also imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran.

After leaving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the U.S. began unilaterally imposing sanctions on Iran in May 2018.
Under former president Donald Trump, the U.S. launched a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, imposing the "toughest ever" sanctions on the country.