The US and Canada have announced that new measures will be taken to target Iran’s nuclear program. A senior Iranian political official has said that the sanctions imposed on the Iranian nuclear program would be “in vain” despite Western authority claiming the sanctions would unite the Iranian people. Russia has come to Iran’s defense calling the sanctions “against international law.”

Ramin Mehmanparast of the Iranian Foreign Ministry has told reporters in Tehran that the attempts of the west will simply unite the Iranian people to support their nuclear program. Although Iran has firmly denied the claims that they are trying to develop nuclear weapons, a UN report published just two weeks ago has the strongest evidence leading against the claims.

Although Tehran is insisting that the nuclear program is a civilian endeavor, a UN nuclear watchdog group has said that the tests Iran is performing are congruent with that of the development of a nuclear weapon. With China and Russia opposed to the sanctions, Iran was not referred to the UN Security Council. Abdolhossein Bayat, Iran’s deputy oil minister, has said that if the sactions are implemented, Iran will not stop exporting their petrochemical to the European Unions.

The UK announced on Monday that they were cutting all ties with Iran’s banks. Canada has said that they are banning the export of petrochemical, gas and oil. Hilary Clinton, US Secretary Of State, has said that they will be monitoring Iran with greater authority in the coming weeks. The US has also accused Iran as a “primary money laundering concern.”

US President Barack Obama has said through a written statement that the United States has identified Iranian banking sector as a threat to financial institutions and governments that have business with Iran’s banks. The UK has since ceased all trade with Iran’s banks.