Iran is again ramping up its aggressive rhetoric in light of the latest sanctions from the U.S. that go into effect today.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared a “war situation” on Monday as the U.S. reimposed its final sanctions against Iran on Monday that restrict its oil, banking and shipping, the Associated Press
reported.
“We are in the war situation,” Rouhani said. “We are in the economic war situation. We are confronting a bullying enemy. We have to stand to win.”
He further compared the Trump Administration’s decision to reimpose sanctions to that of the dictatorship of Iraq leader Saddam Hussein in the 1980s.
“Yesterday, Saddam was in front us, today Trump is front of us. There is no difference. We must resist and win,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran began a two-day military drill in its northern territory, which will end Tuesday. State television footage showed surface-to-air missiles successfully striking down a drone. The drill includes Iran’s national army, as well as its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The latest round of sanctions – and the last to be reinstated after they were lifted for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran – freezes U.S. assets belonging to entities who continue importing Iranian oil without a waiver.
The sanctions have targeted more than 700 entities in or connected to Iran, including individuals, and even aircraft and vessels. The sanctions are expected to cripple Iran’s economy.
“Today we are re-imposing all sanctions that were previously lifted under the #Iran nuclear deal. This includes sanctions on energy, banking, shipping, and shipbuilding,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday morning.