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By Associated press
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran welcomed the re-imposition of US sanctions on Monday by air defense exercises and President Hassan Rouhani's recognition of the "war situation", which has exacerbated tensions in the Middle East while the American approach of the Islamic Republic takes shape.
The sanctions put an end to all the economic benefits that America has granted to Tehran for its nuclear deal with the world powers in 2015, although Iran continues to respect the agreement that limited enrichment of uranium. While for the moment did not threaten to resume a greater enrichment, Iranian officials have held a threatening message in recent months, which could resume anytime sooner than before.
The new US sanctions have particularly harmed the Iranian oil sector, an essential source of hard currency for its anemic economy. Its national currency has fallen over the past year, driving up prices, from cell phones to soaring drugs.
"Today, Iran is able to sell its oil and it will," promised Monday Rouhani at the entry into force of the sanctions.
Iranian state television broadcast images of air defense systems and anti-aircraft batteries during ongoing two-day military maneuvers across a vast expanse of the country's north. It was ground-to-air missiles firing at a drone.
The exercise was to continue until Tuesday. General Habibillah Sayyari, of the Iranian army, said that the national army and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard of the country were participating in the exercise.
Rouhani, at the same time, promised government officials in comments broadcast on state television that Iran would overcome the sanctions.
"We are in a situation of war," Rouhani said. "We are in a situation of economic warfare, we are facing an enemy who is intimidating, we must stay to win."
He further intensified the speech by comparing the current situation of Iran with the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980s war with the current decision of President Donald Trump to reinstate US sanctions.
"Yesterday, Saddam was in front of us, today, Trump is in front of us, there is no difference, we have to resist and win," he said.
Iran is already plagued by an economic crisis. Its national currency, the rial, is now trading between 145,000 and 1 US dollar, down from the level of $ 40,500 to $ 1 a year earlier. Economic chaos triggered mass protests against the government late last year. Nearly 5,000 arrests have been reported and at least 25 people have been killed. Sporadic manifestations still continue.
Rouhani said separately that the leaders of "four powers" had met with Iran on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September to try to save the deal, including by organizing a possible meeting with Trump. He did not name these countries, but probably referred to China, France, Russia, and Britain, which, along with Germany, constituted the world powers involved in 39, 2015 agreement on nuclear power.
"This question does not require a mediator," said Rouhani, accusing America of unilaterally withdrawing from the deal.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi also predicted the sanctions would be against America's interests.
"Many countries in Europe, from Russia to China have opposed the sanctions," Ghasemi told reporters, adding that the Iranians "have been subject to heavier sanctions" and that they "do not constitute a new problem".
The United States asserts that the sanctions are not aimed at overthrowing the government, but at persuading it to radically change its policies, including supporting regional militant groups and developing long-range ballistic missiles.
However, Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and John Bolton, the president's advisor for national security, both publicly declared their support for the overthrow of the Iranian theocratic government.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday welcomed a tweet of sanctions recently reinstated in the United States, saying they would "critically strike" Iran's military presence around the Middle East. East.
The Trump government's decision to reinstate the sanctions "is the radical change that the Middle East has been waiting for," he said.
Israel is a fierce opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal, to which the United States withdrew in May, claiming that the deal had failed to contain the regional military threat of terrorism. # 39; Iran.
