Senior Cleric: US Anti-Iran Sanctions Doomed to Failure

Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Emami Kashani said, "The enemies of Iran, in particular US President Donald Trump, have waged a media war and propaganda to show their anti-Iran policies have been successful, but people across the world know well that their policies have been defeated."
He reiterated that the US and its regional allies, specially Saudi Arabia, are trying to cover up their crimes by waging propaganda against Iran, but the whole world is getting more informed of their crimes.
In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani downplayed impacts of the US oil sanctions against Tehran, stressing that his country continues crude supply unabated.
"They (the Americans) imagined that they would cut off Iran's crude sales, but they have now come to realize that this is not practical and possible both due to their internal issues and because of oil prices," President Rouhani said, addressing a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
"We showed a very clear and firm sign to the Americans that we sell our oil and maintain our financial relations with the world," he added.
Rouhani played down different attempts by the US and its allies to stop Iran's crude exports, and said, "Whatever they do, we have so many ways and routes to sell oil and render their sanctions ineffective."
In relevant remarks on Saturday, Rouhani said American officials had admitted their incapability to stop Iran's crude sales, and the US sanctions would only leave negative impacts on imports of foodstuff, medicine and medical equipment.
"What the Iranian officials said that the US is not able to zero Iran's oil exports was proved with the US recent admission," President Rouhani said after a trilateral meeting with the parliament speaker and judiciary chief in Tehran.
"The US announced that it cannot zero Iran's oil sales because the oil prices will rise to $150; this is what we had said (before). In this region, either Iran's oil is exported or others will be in trouble as well," he added.
President Rouhani referred to the US lies that the foodstuff, drugs and medical equipment were exempted from Washington's sanctions against Iran, and said, "This is incorrect. When the banking system is sanctioned, everything is affected."
The US Treasury Department announced all sanctions on Iran lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal would be back in force on November 5.

Source:FNA