Iran: We will overcome Washington's economic sanctions

By Narkas Rezaie and Mostafa Mellih Ahsihali

TEHRAN (AA) - Iran will offset U.S. economic sanctions by working more closely with China, Russia and Turkey, a top Iranian official said Tuesday.

“We will overcome our problems by working with China, Russia, Turkey and other friendly countries,” Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to Iran’s supreme leader for international relations, was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).

“U.S. pressure will not disrupt the export of Iranian oil,” Velayati added, going on to assert that Iran was not currently engaged in any negotiations with the U.S.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from a landmark nuclear deal signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).

He later reinstated U.S. sanctions on Tehran, which had been lifted under the terms of the agreement in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear energy program.

The sanctions are expected to impact Iranian oil exports, which provide Tehran with the revenue needed to finance its national budget.