Economy

Official: Iran Exporting Products to over 100 Countries despite Sanctions


A senior Iranian economic official dismissed efficiency and effectiveness of the Western sanctions and restrictions against Iran, saying that the country has continued its strong presence in the international markets and is exporting goods and products to over 100 nations.

“Despite sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has exports to over 100 countries of the world,” Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ahmad Sadeqi Golmakani said.

He said only Iran’s non-oil exports amounted to $41bln during the last Iranian year (ended on March 19), which, in turn, proves that sanctions against Iran have failed to undermine its economic activities.

Golmakani’s remarks came as senior officials in Tehran said earlier this year that Iran plans to increase its non-oil exports to over $70bln this year.

Late in December, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lauded the country’s growing non-oil exports, and said Iran’s non-oil exports will equal its imports in the next Iranian year (March 20, 2012 to March 19, 2013).

“God willing, non-oil exports will equal (Iran’s) imports by the end of 1391 (March 19, 2013),” he said, adding, “That would be a great revolution in the country’s economy.”

Despite the rules enshrined in the NPT entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UNSC sanctions for turning down Western demands for relinquishing its nuclear rights.

Tehran has dismissed the West’s demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians’ national resolve to continue the path.

Political observers believe that the United States has remained at loggerheads with Iran mainly over the independent and home-grown nature of Tehran’s nuclear technology, which gives the Islamic Republic the potential to turn into a world power and a role model for the other third-world countries.

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