TEHRAN – Iran’s president said enemies cannot bring Iranian people to submission through sanctions or threats.
“If we remain united, our enemies can only dream of paralyzing us with sanctions and threats,” Masoud Pezeshkian said at a ceremony held to recognize donors to the school’s construction. His remarks came as Western countries reinstated illegal sanctions against the country.
Britain, France and Germany imposed a snapback on August 28, beginning a 30-day process to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran.
Despite last-ditch efforts by Russia and China to maintain diplomacy, the UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement on September 26. Two days later, the E3 and the US declared sanctions reinstated and called on UN member states to implement them.
Tehran categorically rejects the claims, saying it was the United States and its European allies who undermined the 2015 nuclear deal by not keeping their promises. Iranian officials insist that U.N. member states are under no obligation to comply with unilateral and illegal measures.
Iran’s position is rooted in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which approved the 2015 nuclear deal and formally lifted previous sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian officials stress that the resolution establishes a clear time-limited framework under which all nuclear-related restrictions will permanently expire on October 18, 2025. Resolution 2231 itself expired on Friday.
The United States also launched a military invasion against Iran in collusion with the Israeli regime.
On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, sparking a 12-day war that left at least 1,064 people dead in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
The United States committed a grave violation of international law by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities and entering the war.
In response, Iranian forces targeted strategic locations throughout the occupied territories, as well as Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in West Asia.
Iran has proposed holding talks with the United States in the presence of a third party, but the United States has rejected Iran’s offer.
The United States has repeatedly made excessive and unreasonable demands, such as asking Iran to reduce the range of its missiles, but Iran has strongly refused to accept these demands. Therefore, the US government is trying to increase pressure on Iran through sanctions.
Meanwhile, there are also unconfirmed reports that the United States is seeking to engage in a maritime conflict with Iran with the aim of restricting Iran’s oil exports. The Biden administration previously tried to seize Iranian oil tankers bound for consumers, but was forced to abandon the strategy after Iranian naval retaliation.
Iran has always refused to bow to pressure from the United States, insisting that sanctions and threats will not affect Iran’s will to continue on the path to progress.