TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. fresh sanctions against Iran aim to divert global attention from the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Riyadh's crimes in Yemen, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday.

Zarif hit out at the United States for imposing fresh sanctions on Iran over allegedly supporting the Taliban group of Afghanistan, Press TV reported.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against eight individuals, including two allegedly linked to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and accused Iran of providing material and financial support to terrorists.

Zarif said the U.S. sanctions were meant to protect Saudi Arabia and divert attention from Khashoggi's murder and Yemen's war.

The Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi crown prince, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the killing of Khashoggi was supported by the United States.