President Hassan Rouhani said Iran is prepared to counter US pressures, just ahead of a new round of sanctions, which is set to take effect in the coming days.
"The government will utilize all its means and resources to resolve the problems facing the people due to financial constraints," he said.
Washington decided to reinstate sanctions on Iran in May after pulling out of the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. It plans to levy penalties targeting Iran’s oil and banking sectors on Nov. 4.
“[Nov. 4] of this year signifies a new instance of US injustice … But the people should know with certainty that the government is not afraid of American threats,” he said during a Cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, according to his official website.
“Over the past few months, our people have faced hard times and it is possible that the next few months will be difficult. But the government will use all its capacities to mitigate these problems,” he added.
US Retreat
Rouhani also said Asian and European officials have sent messages to Iran, assuring that they will “stand by and continue cooperation with Iran”.
“We are sure that the Americans’ new push will lead nowhere and they are gradually backing away [from their hard line on Iran’s oil trade],” he said.
The president noted that US officials had first sought to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, but were forced to retreat.
“You [the US] will not reach any of your goals regarding Iran’s oil sales. You will neither be able to bring them to zero nor reduce them,” he said.
Rouhani said Tehran will overcome hardships on the back of its strong relations with trading partners, asserting that the US pressure campaign will be short-lived.
“The US will raise a commotion for a while, but will give up in the end, because they cannot make decisions for the region and great nations,” he concluded.
