TEHRAN - The Iranian Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday that Washington cannot hide its “nefarious designs” toward Iran by loosening some of its communications sanctions against Iran while keeping unilateral sanctions in other vital areas in place.

The reaction by the Foreign Ministry came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department issued guidance exempting some previously sanction-stricken internet services for Iranians.

The move by Washington came amid riots that followed the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who fainted while in police custody and died at hospital after three days in coma. 

U.S. officials have alleged that the exemptions would "help" Iranians access tools that can be used to circumvent the Iranian government's cyber surveillance controls.

"US has long attempted to undermine Iran's stability & security - to no avail,"  Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani tweeted, Press TV reported.

"It can't hide its nefarious designs: loosening communications sanctions, while keeping Max Pressure in place. Both meant to provoke instability," he added, warning that "bids to violate Iran's sovereignty won't go unanswered."

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, an American space technology and satellite communications corporation, has also announced that his company would provide Starlink, the firm's satellite broadband service, to Iranians. Musk said on Monday his company would provide Starlink to Iranians, and would ask for a sanctions exception to do so.

Despite Iranian officials’ clarification on circumstances surrounding the Amini death, violent street protests have erupted and led to attacks on security officers and acts of vandalism against public property and sanctities.

Speaking on Friday, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the riots that have followed Amini's death, had nothing to do with the tragic event, stating that the issue was being exploited by rabble-rousers to instigate chaos and wreak havoc across the country.