A senior Iranian official has downplayed sanctions against the Islamic Republic, saying sanctions can serve as an effective incentive in achieving self-sufficiency, Press TV reported.
"Sanctions have not been futile, but they can be effective in taking steps towards achieving self-sufficiency and promoting Iran's 20-year Development Plan," said Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, quoted by Mehr news agency on Thursday.
Velayati added that Iran's progress should not be merely confined to economic fields, saying, "We should see that Iran has turned into the first power in the region in defensive, political and scientific areas as well."
He noted that Iran has made great progress in political and defensive areas while the country is demonstrating considerable growth in scientific and technological fields.
In addition to nuclear technology, Iran is a leading country in nanotechnology, colonization and medicine in the Middle East and in the Muslim world.
Currently, Iran is one of the 10 countries that produce embryonic human stem cell and has successfully cloned a sheep and will clone a cow within three to five years.
Under the 20-year Development Plan, Iran aims to become a base for high technology and a scientific powerhouse in the region.
The US and its allies used their influence in the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over allegations that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is totally peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.
The sanctions imposed on Iran over its peaceful nuclear program have failed to impede the nation's progress. The country has continued to move on the path to development and progress despite the US-led restrictive measures taken against it.