Tehran - (AFP) - The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the absence of European "rationality" after the continental bloc and the United Kingdom imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic over the protests.

Since September 16, protests have erupted in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, three days after she was arrested by the morality police for not adhering to the strict dress code in the Islamic Republic.

Dozens of people, including members of the security forces, died on the sidelines of the protests, during which slogans were raised against the authorities, and officials considered a large part of them "riots." The judiciary charged more than 2,000 detainees in connection with the movements.

Several Western countries expressed their support for the protests, and imposed sanctions on officials and entities in Iran in response to what they consider the authorities' suppression of the movements.

On Monday, the European Union announced new sanctions against 29 Iranian officials, including Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, and three entities, including the official English-language Press TV.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the new measures, considering them "a baseless, illegal and completely unacceptable measure."

He added, "It seems that the addiction to sanctions has isolated the rationality and seriousness of the European parties," stressing that these countries "are narrowing the scope of their interactions (with Iran) by adopting this wrong position."

With the new sanctions, the European Union's actions against the background of the protests in Iran now include 126 people and 11 entities.
On October 17, the continental bloc announced a series of restrictive steps that included the Iranian morality police and a number of officials, including Minister of Communications and Technology Issa Zarepour.

Kanaani stressed that Tehran "will take reciprocal and effective measures with wisdom and strength and based on national interests against such useless and constructive practices, and reserves the right to respond" to European and British sanctions.

The Islamic Republic has previously included, according to the principle of reciprocity, entities and individuals in the countries that have been imposed on it, on its black list of sanctions. The Iranian measures included banning the issuance of entry visas, banning travel, and freezing any assets and property in Iran.