Official: US Sanctions Not to Harm Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Head of Iran's Plan and Budget Organization Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said Iran’s economy is so powerful that the US sanctions could not damage it.
“Americans acknowledge that Iran is one of the world’s wealthiest countries,” Nobakht said on Saturday, stressing that the country is so strong that the US sanctions could not bring the Iranian nation to its knees.
“According to international reports, Iran is the world’s eighteenth largest economy,” he added.
Nobakht further unveiled plans to create new jobs in the country, including at least 82,000 jobs in the agricultural sector, saying the job creation policies are unaffected by the US sanctions.
In comments earlier this month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will proudly circumvent the US sanctions, which he branded as cruel and illegal.
“American (officials) say Iran would bypass the sanctions; that’s right, we announce with great pride that we will bypass your illegal and cruel sanctions, because your sanctions are cruel, wrong and against the international law,” Rouhani said.
The US government imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran on November 4.
On May 8, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
The US had announced plans to drive Iran’s oil exports down to zero, but backed off from its policy and granted waivers to at least 8 countries that import Iranian oil.