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Minister Dismisses Effectiveness of Sanctions against Iran

Iran Materials 23 April 2011 02:14 (UTC +04:00)
Iranian Minister of Cooperatives Mohammad Abbasi on Friday reiterated that US-sponsored sanctions had left no impact on Iran's progress
Minister Dismisses Effectiveness of Sanctions against Iran

Iranian Minister of Cooperatives Mohammad Abbasi on Friday reiterated that US-sponsored sanctions had left no impact on Iran's progress, FARS NEWS reported.

Addressing a large congregation of Iranian worshippers here in Tehran today, Abbasi said that US-sponsored sanctions and restrictions failed to restrict Iran's economic progress.

The minister added that the most important responsibility of planners, policymakers and executive managers in the Year of the Economic Jihad -- as named by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei -- is following the Leader's guidelines.

Despite the hostile policies and moves of the United States and its European allies, Iran has shown a promising trend of growth in science and economy.

Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment, saying the demand is politically tainted and illogical.

Yet, last year the US and the European Union approved a set of extra unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program, mostly targeting the country's energy and banking sectors, including a US boycott of gasoline supplies to Iran.

But the US fuel embargo on Iran proved futile after Iran boosted domestic production, attained self-sufficiency and even exported gasoline.

Iran says that western sanctions and pressures have only consolidated the Iranians' national resolve and encouraged them to reach self-sufficiency in many economic areas, including gasoline production.

The value of Iran's trade exchanges with the US increased to $16mln in January 2011 despite all the western sanctions and the extra embargos imposed by the US against the country over the latter's peaceful nuclear program.

The latest figures and statistics of the Census Bureau said that despite the US-engineered sanctions imposed on Iran, the United States exported $15.9 million worth of goods to the Islamic Republic in January.

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