New U.S. sanctions against senior Iranian officials over alleged human rights abuses will further increase tensions between Washington and Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"This impertinent move is a clear violation of international laws and regulations and shows that the U.S. supports unlawful unrest in Iran," spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.
"This decision is in line with U.S. interference in the internal affairs of Iran over the past 30 years," he added.
The Swiss ambassador to Iran, Livia Leu Agosti, whose country represents the U.S. in the Islamic Republic, also said the U.S. move was illegal.
U.S. President Barack Obama slapped sanctions against eight Iranian officials on Wednesday, accusing them of being involved in human rights abuses during protests over the outcome of Iran's presidential elections in 2009.
Any U.S. assets held by the eight, including Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari and former Tehran prosecutor general Said Mortazevi, will be frozen.
RIA Novosti
