Iran will sue US for sanctioning handmade Persian rugs

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran will file a lawsuit against the United States following the decision to introduce iconic hand-woven Persian rugs on the list of new sanctions aimed at the economy Iranian, said the head of the Iranian National Center Carpet "The handmade rugs belong to the Iranian nation and US President Donald Trump has made a mistake to punish this Iranian art which is a symbol of culture and intellectual property of the Iranian people, "said Fereshteh Dastpak Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Handmade rugs are one of the most iconic industries in Iran. Thousands of skilled weavers depend on the carpet industry for a living.

Last month, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) canceled the license to import carpets, pistachios and caviar from Iran. The Iranian economy

According to the Iranian National Carpet Center, carpet exports generated $ 336 million between March 2017 and January 2018. One-third of these exports went to the United States. Iran has exported more than $ 97 million worth of handmade carpets to the United States last year.

In May this year, US President Donald Trump announced a series of new sanctions against Iran. months to come. Under the sanctions regime imposed on Iran before the 2015 agreement, Iranian carpet exports to the United States have fallen to zero.

Iran is the world's largest carpet exporter, selling to 80 countries. In the United States, Persian carpets sell for between $ 10,000 for a smaller carpet and $ 100,000, or twice as much for a beautiful rug, according to the Iranian National Carpet Center.