President Rouhani: New US sanctions have no effect on Iran economy

President Hassan Rouhani says the US administration is seeking to exert pressure on the Iranian people through imposing "inappropriate" sanctions that he said would affect their livelihood.

Rouhani made the remarks at the end of a meeting of the heads of the three branches of power in Tehran on Saturday.

He rejected Washington's claim that it is not after putting pressure on the Iranian nation, but rather on the Iranian government and the Islamic establishment.

The claim, Rouhani said, is "totally incorrect and inaccurate, and they (the American officials) have themselves exposed this fact."

He further stressed that the Iranian people were already standing against US sanctions contrary to what Washington expected.

"The Iranian nation has demonstrated its resistance and fortitude and it is clear that the one who is thinking about pressure and oppression against the people is the ruling US administration not the other side," Rouhani said.

"They are the ones who want to negatively affect people's lives and their everyday livelihood through inappropriate and wrong sanctions," he added.

Rouhaniu also said that the US had targeted the country's banking system as well as its exports of oil and other goods to hit the Islamic Republic's revenues and its import of basic goods.

However,  the fresh round of anti-Iran sanctions, which took effect on November 5, "had no impact on the country's economic trend because the US had already used all the weapons at its disposal and had nothing new to use against us," he added.

Rouhani said the US just filled in a long list of sanctions only to have "psychological effect" on the Iranian nation.

Earlier this week, the administration of US President Donald Trump unleashed a second round of sanctions against Iran. The punitive measures targeted 700 individuals, banks, aircraft, ships and companies tied to Iran’s energy and financial industries.

PressTV-US reimposes ‘toughest’ oil, economic sanctions on Iran

The US announces the reimposition of new and strengthened sanctions against Iran in an attempt "to force Tehran to change its behavior to Washington’s liking."

They came months after Washington scrapped the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite international objections.

The first round of the anti-Iran bans – which had been lifted under the accord -- were re-imposed in August.

The Trump administration had earlier vowed to reduce Tehran’s oil revenue to zero, but it went back on its pledge and gave waivers to almost all major customers of the country. 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said that the US would never be able to cut Iran’s crude exports to zero.

"Either all [countries] in the region export oil or if Iran's oil exports are to stop, others will be in trouble," he said.

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