Azernews.Az

The United States' pressure and economic sanctions against Iran will be futile, Iranian ambassador in Baku Nasser Hamidi Zare has said.
He said the realities of the past 29 years have shown that it is impossible to influence Iran this way, as the country is able to survive and thrive without the support of other states.
"The sanctions being applied against us will not hurt us a bit," Hamidi Zare told the press Tuesday. "Iran's industry is advanced today, and we have the needed amount of investment to develop the country. Our human capital is in abundance. We have plenty of overland and natural resources as well."
The ambassador said international sanctions being applied against Tehran will, in fact, lead to the weakening of the UN Security Council. Hamidi Zare said his country has embarked on the needed steps to counter the sanctions. As an example he cited Iran's refusal to use the dollar in the sales of oil products, saying other countries were contemplating the move as well.
"In addition to that, by applying the sanctions they are losing such a big market as Iran. From this standpoint, these sanctions are hurting their own companies more," said Hamidi Zare.
Iranian energy executives announced Monday that Iran has effectively cut all ties with the dollar when it comes to oil revenues.
The United States has banned imports of Iranian crude since 1995.
Western powers and Iran have been at odds over Tehran's nuclear program. Iran insists its uranium enrichment activities are for civil use only and vehemently dismisses allegations that it is trying to build an atomic bomb.
Hamidi Zare made it clear that despite mounting international pressure, Tehran will not back down from uranium enrichment. At the same time, he said there were no grounds for concern over Iran's nuclear program. International experts who conducted observations in Tehran, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representatives, "confirmed that Iran is on the right path", the envoy said.
"Unfortunately, despite our most sincere intentions, we witnessed a wrong attitude of just a handful of countries toward us. They consider us as detrimental as they are, trying to divert us from legal ways and to impose their political will.
"The use of nuclear weapons complies with neither our religion nor our beliefs. Iran's military doctrine does not envision the use of weapons of mass destruction either," Hamidi Zare said.
The diplomat said the chemicals to be acquired by his country through uranium enrichment are beneficial not only for security purposes but also for medicine, and the West "has been depriving Muslims of that for years".