Leader: Iran to export as much oil as it needs; US cannot block sales

Thursday 25 April 2019

Leader: Iran to export as much oil as it needs; US cannot block sales

Wed Apr 24, 2019 08:45AM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei meets with a group of workers in Tehran, Iran, April 24, 2019. (Photo by khamenei.ir)

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the US administration’s hostile attempts to block Iran’s oil sales will lead nowhere, and that the country will export “as much crude as it needs and wishes” in defiance of American sanctions.

Speaking at a meeting with a large group of Iranian workers on Wednesday, Leader played down Washington’s recent decision to end exemptions from sanctions for countries buying oil from Tehran.

“In the first place, such attempts will lead nowhere, and we are capable of exporting as much oil as we need and want,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Leader warned that “this act of hostility will not go unanswered,” emphasizing that the Iranian nation “will not sit idly by” in the face of its enemies.

Ayatollah Khamenei further said the enemies have recurrently failed in their attempts to bring the Iranian nation to its knees.

They are now resorting to economic pressure to achieve that end, but will once again fail to do so, the Leader added.

“They (enemies) imagine they’ve blocked [our] way, but our vigorous nation and vigilant authorities will overcome the dead-ends if they put their efforts into this,” the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei, however, called for collective efforts to reduce domestic dependence on oil.

(This item is being updated.)