TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s president tries to downplay US sanctions targeting the country’s vital oil and gas sector that are set to be restored next month.
Speaking in Tehran University to mark the start of the academic year, Hassan Rouhani says the Novenber 4 sanctions “will have no effect,” because “the US has already done whatever it wanted to do.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been steadily restoring sanctions on Iran since he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord in May. Iran has been grappling with an economic crisis in recent months, with its currency plunging to historic lows and sporadic protests breaking out.
The US has said it will press other countries to halt imports of Iranian oil, which would cut off a key source of revenue for Tehran.
Rouhani says the current US administration is the “most hostile” ever toward Iran, but that his country will overcome the sanctions through “unity and integrity.” He says his administration has allocated some $15 billion to purchase basic goods in the current Iranian year, which ends next March.
Rouhani says the US sanctions are aimed at “regime change.” The Trump administration insists its aim is not to overthrow the Iranian government, but to pressure it to radically alter its policies, including its development of ballistic missiles and support for regional militant groups.
— AP
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a press conference in New York on September 26, 2018, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (AFP Photo/Jim Watson)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
