FILE PHOTO: Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, December 10, 2019. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

DOHA (Reuters) - The American sanctions imposed on Iran violate the United Nations charter and international law, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a conference in Qatar on Saturday.

‘’Malaysia does not support the reimposition of the unilateral sanctions by the US against Iran,’’ he told the Doha Forum, also attended by Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Malaysia and other countries have lost a ‘’a big market’’ because of the sanctions on Iran, he said.

‘’Such sanctions clearly violate the United Nations charter and international law; sanctions can only be applied by the United Nations in accordance with the charter,’’ he added.

(This story has been refiled to remove an error in last paragraph)