‘Iran foiled enemy economic plots’

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi says the country has successfully thwarted the enemy plots in every sphere, including the economic sector.

Qasemi said on Thursday US diplomats are offering concessions around the world to convince other nations to go along with Washington’s sanctions against Iran, “but they are not considering the Iranian wit and intelligence in their calculations.”

“Today we have grown self-sufficient not only in the oil but in most other industries and our experts and universities are achieving new honors,” he asserted.

On New Year’s Eve, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.

Furthermore, EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton, on Wednesday, threatened Tehran with more sanctions, saying that “I expect Iran will realize that we will continue with sanctions. EU members are discussing further sanctions right now.”

EU member states will meet on January 23 to discuss the proposed embargo on Iran’s oil exports.

The US-led anti-Iran efforts, as well as unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran’s energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on the Iranian nuclear program early in November, alleging that Tehran might be seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, israel and some of their European allies that Iran’s nuclear program may potentially have a military aspect, Iran insists on its civilian nature, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and an IAEA member it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.