CARACAS (AFP) - Venezuela's top diplomat Tuesday voiced Caracas' "utmost rejection" of what it called the "hostile" US sanction imposed on its state oil giant PDVSA. The United States earlier announced sanctions against "seven foreign entities" including Venezuela's state oil company as part of new efforts to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions. Washington also imposed sanctions against 16 other foreign entities and individuals, including from China, over trade with Iran, Syria and North Korea in goods or technology that may be used for weapons of mass destruction or missiles. In Washington, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told reporters the measures against the seven entities come under the Iran sanctions act of 1996.