Iran Sanctions

Iran’s president has downplayed the US administration’s efforts to defeat the Islamic Republic through its “maximum pressure” policy, saying Donald Trump and the Republican Party will soon lose their power while the Islamic Republic is still in power.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says international waterways will not be as safe as before if Iran’s oil exports are zeroed out.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani highlighted the futility of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran and said the pressures cannot force the Islamic Republic to return to nuclear negotiating table.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi says the country has officially warned the US government against making any fresh attempt to seize the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya (formerly Grace-1) which was recently released by Gibraltar after an unlawful 45-day seizure.

The local government of Gibraltar has refused a US request to seize the Iranian tanker Adrian Darya (formerly Grace-1), saying it was unable to comply because it was bound by European Union law.

The number of foreign tourists visiting the country over a span of four months in the current year has risen by 50 percent compared to the corresponding period last year, Iranian officials say.

Iran’s ambassador to the UK has rejected claims that Tehran renamed a tanker planned to depart from the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, where it has been detained since last month, to avoid US sanctions, saying the move was in line with international maritime rules.

Iran is going to become fully self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said.

The US claims that its maximum pressure on Iran won’t stop the supply of medicine and other humanitarian necessities, but banking sanctions are driving up import prices, blocking supply chains, and creating deadly drug shortages, an article released by Foreign Policy says.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has unveiled a warrant for the seizure of the Iran-operated Grace 1 supertanker a day after Gibraltar’s Supreme Court confirmed the release of the vessel.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi says the Islamic Republic will give a rapid and crushing response to any act of aggression, reiterating that Iran’s military capabilities are for defence.

Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah has sent a letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to voice support for the top Iranian diplomat who has been blacklisted by the US.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have called for further enhancement of bilateral relations in a phone conversation.

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi has condemned US sanctioning of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, calling on the UN and other world bodies to stand against the bans.

Iran’s ambassador to France has lashed out at the US for violating freedom of speech by blacklisting Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying the US lacks the competence to host the UN Headquarters.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the US’ cruel sanctions against Iran are tantamount to “crime against humanity” and “economic terrorism” as they have put ordinary Iranians and even patients under pressure.

A host of senior Iranian diplomats have issued a statement in reaction to the United States’ imposition of sanction on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned that any war against the country will be the “mother of all wars”, as peace with Iran will be “mother of all peace”.

Top Iranian military official Major General Qassem Soleimani says Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Iran’s foreign minister is a sign of the White House’s “absolute failure.”

Iran’s minister of health has denounced the US sanctions against the Iranian people as a crime against humanity, saying a new plan for the production of all types of medicine inside the country is going to obviate the need for pharmaceutical imports.

While US Senator Rand Paul says he cannot disclose details of his recent confidential meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, an informed source has revealed some details to an Iranian newspaper.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says the US’s maximum pressure strategy against Iran will have no result for the Trump administration and his hawkish advisors.

Iran says the United States has blocked the road to diplomacy by blacklisting foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as any diplomatic effort must be made through his channel.

The US policy of calling for talks with Iran and at the same time imposing sanction on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif seems like a joke, and Washington wrongly expects Tehran to replace its smart and sophisticated negotiator.

An energy official says the high-quality gasoline produced in Iran is so reasonably priced that nine neighbouring states are competing for a share of the fuel.