Iran's Rouhani slams US over 'childish' Zarif sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called a decision by the United States to sanction Iran's foreign minister "childish" amid rising tensions between the two countries, Al Jazeera reports.

In its latest move aimed at ratcheting up its "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, Washington on Wednesday said it was imposing sanctions on Mohammad Javad Zarif for acting on behalf of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - who is also subject to recently-imposed US sanctions.

In a televised address on Thursday, Rouhani said the US was "resorting to childish behaviour ... They were claiming ever day 'We want to talk, with no preconditions' ... and then they sanction the foreign minister."