Top National Security Official:
Iran Has Plans in Place to Neutralize Sanctions
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran said on Saturday it has many options to neutralize the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on its oil exports, adding that Tehran’s regional influence could not be curbed as demanded by Washington.
"Apart from closing Strait of Hormuz, we have other options to stop oil flow if threatened,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani told Tasnim news agency.
"Iran has plans in place that will neutralize the illegal U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil exports,” Shamkhani said. "We have many ways to sell our oil.”
Tensions between Iran and the United States increased after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers last May, and then reimposed sanctions on the country.
The restoration of sanctions is part of a wider effort by Trump to force Iran to further curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as its support for anti-terror and anti-Zionist forces in the Middle East.
Washington had been pushing governments to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero. But, fearing a price spike, it granted waivers to eight Iranian oil buyers when the sanctions on oil imports started last November.
Iranian officials have threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf if Washington tries to strangle Tehran’s oil exports.
Carrying one-third of the world’s seaborne oil every day, the Strait of Hormuz links Middle East crude producers to key markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond.
"There are multiple ways to make that (blockage of Hormuz) happen. We hope we would not be forced to use them,” Shamkhani said.
Iran has promised "surprise” measures to counter U.S. sanctions on its oil exports.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Basler Zeitung, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said that should the U.S. totally block Iranian oil exports, Tehran has "other options” at its disposal.
When pressed on what Iran intends to do, Zarif replied: "Trump loves the element of surprise, so we’ll entertain him.”
Zarif said "the international community must decide whether it is in their interest to let the U.S. go through its illegal diktats.”
"Europeans must ask themselves: if they allow this precedent, what will they do if the U.S. demands an end to trade with China?” he added.
Iran has been President Bashar al-Assad’s most supportive ally against foreign-backed terrorists throughout the nearly eight-year war on Syria. "We have achieved 90 percent of Iran’s goals in Syria,” said Shamkhani.
"There will be important developments in promoting deterrence capability of the resistance front in Syria,” said Shamkhani when asked about the occupying regime of Israel’s "possible future attacks” in Syria.
Iran refers to regional countries and forces opposed to the occupying regime of Israel and the United States as a "resistance axis”.
The Zionist regime says it has carried out over 200 attacks against various targets in Syria in the last two years, in what is seen as a bid to prop up terrorists who are facing a total rout at the hands of the Syrian army and its allies.
Israel has also been threatening Iranian advisers in Syria with attacks if they do not leave the country. Iran says it will continue to provide military advisers to Syria for as long as necessary in support of the country’s forces.
Shamkhani said Israel’s claims about its military campaign against Iran in Syria are "propaganda”.
"Iran is capable of confronting any military threat ... Trump and Israel are well aware of Iran’s military might,” Shamkhani said. "They know that they cannot enter a war with Iran. That is why they publicly threaten Iran.”
In July last year, Trump warned Iran that it would face consequences "the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered."
Shamkhani said, "This is Trump’s technique. Trump is not made for wars. He issues threats to avoid a war.”
He also said that Iraqi government is opposed to Washington’s plan to deploy U.S. troops from Syria to Iraq. "Americans face a tough job in this regard. I believe that the U.S. will have to get out of other places of the region as well by the end of 2019.”
Shamkhani said, "One of the main realities in Syria and elsewhere in the region is that the U.S. allies have been defeated by the will of nations, and have therefore inflicted heavy political, military and financial costs on the U.S.”
Although a number of Arab states have formed an alliance against Iran, many other countries in the region have "friendly ties” with the Islamic Republic, Shamkhani said.
"Many Arab countries, even at Persian Gulf southern side, have friendly ties with Iran and do not perceive any necessity for creating a military or security alliance in the face of Iran,” he said.
"On the contrary, countries like Oman, Qatar and Kuwait seek to prevent false tensions and have also appropriate efforts on the agenda. Even the (United Arab) Emirates’ stances are not identical with those of Saudi Arabia either, and there are rulers inside the United Arab Emirates who send signal of cooperation and removal of misunderstandings,” he added.
"Apart from closing Strait of Hormuz, we have other options to stop oil flow if threatened,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani told Tasnim news agency.
"Iran has plans in place that will neutralize the illegal U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil exports,” Shamkhani said. "We have many ways to sell our oil.”
Tensions between Iran and the United States increased after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers last May, and then reimposed sanctions on the country.
The restoration of sanctions is part of a wider effort by Trump to force Iran to further curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as its support for anti-terror and anti-Zionist forces in the Middle East.
Washington had been pushing governments to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero. But, fearing a price spike, it granted waivers to eight Iranian oil buyers when the sanctions on oil imports started last November.
Iranian officials have threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf if Washington tries to strangle Tehran’s oil exports.
Carrying one-third of the world’s seaborne oil every day, the Strait of Hormuz links Middle East crude producers to key markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond.
"There are multiple ways to make that (blockage of Hormuz) happen. We hope we would not be forced to use them,” Shamkhani said.
Iran has promised "surprise” measures to counter U.S. sanctions on its oil exports.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Basler Zeitung, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said that should the U.S. totally block Iranian oil exports, Tehran has "other options” at its disposal.
When pressed on what Iran intends to do, Zarif replied: "Trump loves the element of surprise, so we’ll entertain him.”
Zarif said "the international community must decide whether it is in their interest to let the U.S. go through its illegal diktats.”
"Europeans must ask themselves: if they allow this precedent, what will they do if the U.S. demands an end to trade with China?” he added.
Iran has been President Bashar al-Assad’s most supportive ally against foreign-backed terrorists throughout the nearly eight-year war on Syria. "We have achieved 90 percent of Iran’s goals in Syria,” said Shamkhani.
"There will be important developments in promoting deterrence capability of the resistance front in Syria,” said Shamkhani when asked about the occupying regime of Israel’s "possible future attacks” in Syria.
Iran refers to regional countries and forces opposed to the occupying regime of Israel and the United States as a "resistance axis”.
The Zionist regime says it has carried out over 200 attacks against various targets in Syria in the last two years, in what is seen as a bid to prop up terrorists who are facing a total rout at the hands of the Syrian army and its allies.
Israel has also been threatening Iranian advisers in Syria with attacks if they do not leave the country. Iran says it will continue to provide military advisers to Syria for as long as necessary in support of the country’s forces.
Shamkhani said Israel’s claims about its military campaign against Iran in Syria are "propaganda”.
"Iran is capable of confronting any military threat ... Trump and Israel are well aware of Iran’s military might,” Shamkhani said. "They know that they cannot enter a war with Iran. That is why they publicly threaten Iran.”
In July last year, Trump warned Iran that it would face consequences "the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered."
Shamkhani said, "This is Trump’s technique. Trump is not made for wars. He issues threats to avoid a war.”
He also said that Iraqi government is opposed to Washington’s plan to deploy U.S. troops from Syria to Iraq. "Americans face a tough job in this regard. I believe that the U.S. will have to get out of other places of the region as well by the end of 2019.”
Shamkhani said, "One of the main realities in Syria and elsewhere in the region is that the U.S. allies have been defeated by the will of nations, and have therefore inflicted heavy political, military and financial costs on the U.S.”
Although a number of Arab states have formed an alliance against Iran, many other countries in the region have "friendly ties” with the Islamic Republic, Shamkhani said.
"Many Arab countries, even at Persian Gulf southern side, have friendly ties with Iran and do not perceive any necessity for creating a military or security alliance in the face of Iran,” he said.
"On the contrary, countries like Oman, Qatar and Kuwait seek to prevent false tensions and have also appropriate efforts on the agenda. Even the (United Arab) Emirates’ stances are not identical with those of Saudi Arabia either, and there are rulers inside the United Arab Emirates who send signal of cooperation and removal of misunderstandings,” he added.