Iran's leaders seek ways to defend the economy from U.S. sanctions

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran is studying ways to keep the oil and other measures to counter U.S. economic sanctions, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

Since last month, when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear which lifted most penalties in 2015, the rial currency has dropped up to 40 percent in value, prompting angry protests by bazaar traders usually loyal to the Islamist rulers.

Speaking after three days of protests, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US sanctions were aimed at turning Iranians against their government.

Six Presidents Before Him (Trump) tried this and had to give up, "Khamenei said on his website Khamenei.ir.

With the return of U.S. sanctions, President Hassan Rouhani has set the head of parliament and the judiciary to discuss counter-measures.

"Various scenarios of threats to the Iranian economy by the U.S. government have been examined and recommended to be taken into account for probable U.S. sanctions, and to prevent their negative impact," IRNA said.

One such measure was seeking self-sufficiency in gasoline production, the report added.

The government and parliament has also set up a committee to study potential buyers of oil and ways of repatriating the consequences of U.S. sanctions take effect, Fereydoun Hassanvand, head of the parliament's energy committee, was quoted as saying by IRNA.

"Due to the possibility of US sanctions against Iran, the committee will study the jurisdiction of buyers and how to obtain proceeds of the sale of oil, , "Hassanvand said.

The United States has told allies of Iranian oil from November, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.

Khamenei said the United States was acting together with Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab states that Shi'ite Muslim Iran's look at their regional foe of trying to destabilize the government in Tehran.

"If America was able to act against Iran, it would not be necessary to form coalitions with notorious and reactionary states in their region." state TV.