Iran will sell oil, break US sanctions, President Rouhani says

Rouhani has said Iran will defy the sanctions, which were reimposed on Monday. (AFP)
  • US reimposed sanctions on Monday, but Iran pledges to defy them
  • Monday's actions mark an end to the 2015 nuclear deal reached under President Obama

DUBAI: Iran will sell its oil and break sanctions reimposed by the United States on its vital energy and banking sectors, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told economists at a meeting broadcast live on state television on Monday.

“America wanted to cut to zero Iran’s oil sales ... but we will continue to sell our oil ... to break sanctions,” Rouhani said.

In May, US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of world powers’ 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed a first round of sanctions on Iran in August.

The deal saw most international financial and economic sanctions on Iran lifted in return for Tehran curbing its disputed nuclear activity under UN surveillance.