Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US’s fresh sanctions against Iran aim to deflect global attention from the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Riyadh’s crimes in Yemen.  

"To deflect from headlines on Saudi brutality in Istanbul and across Yemen, US Treasury—while in Saudi Arabia, no less—sanctions Iran for "supporting" anti-Iran Taliban. Conveniently omitting that US is negotiating with the very same Taliban now& its clients have long backed it," Zarif tweeted.