Syria's Information Minister Adnan Mahmoud lambasted on Tuesday the latest raft of U.S. sanctions against Syria's state media, regarding the measures as " hostile."

"Imposing sanctions on a national media institution, which expresses the voice of the Syrian people and their interests and aspirations, exposes the hectic media campaign against Syria," Mahmoud said in a statement carried by the state-run SANA news agency.

The minister underlined that the decision reflects a " unilateral U.S. vision," which is linked to predetermined political agenda contradicting ethical and professional media standards.

"This act will not dissuade us from continuing our noble work to serve all Syrians and broaden popular dialogue and interaction to push national reform forward," he added.

He said "the U.S. proves once again through this procedure the falsity of its support for media freedom," noting that "these principles championed by the western countries are nothing but a cover for their practices to implement their agenda and reflect the U.S. support to terrorism against the Syrian people and institutions."

"The timing of the sanctions coincides with the successful experience of our national media in following up with political and media pluralism, as it succeeded in attracting the public opinion," he said.

Earlier Monday, the United States targeted Syria's General Organization of Radio and TV for sanctions, the latest of its expanding efforts to press the Syrian government to stop what it called a violent crackdown on demonstrators.

The U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement that as a state-run agency under Syria's ministry of information, the general organization is responsible for operating Syria's state- owned television channels, two terrestrial and one satellite, as well as the government radio stations.

"By taking this action today, the treasury is sending a clear signal that it stands with the Syrian people. Any individuals or institutions supporting its abhorrent behavior will be targeted and cut off from the international financial system," said Adam Szubin, director of the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The move bans U.S. citizens from doing business with the Syrian government, including the general organization, and freezes all of their assets under the U.S. jurisdiction.