First VP Lauds Iran's Stable Economy 1 Year after US Oil Sanctions

"The US imagines that it can zero down our oil sales by exerting pressure on the countries which purchase Iran's oil to lead Iran's economy towards a collapse, but fortunately, the situation of Iran's economy enjoys an acceptable stability one year after the US oil sanctions," Jahangiri said in a meeting with Head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Song Tao in Tehran on Monday.

He described China as the main economic partner of Iran and oil customer, and said, "All high-ranking Iranian officials have put the strategy to develop ties with China on their agenda as a serious mechanism."

Elsewhere, Jahangiri warned that the US is after endangering the Middle-East and Persian Gulf security, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran's policy is based on supporting multilateralism and confronting the US hegemony and we are ready to cooperate with China in regional and international dimensions in this regard."

He also warned of the US "dangerous" attempts to transfer the ISIL terrorists from Syria to Afghanistan, stressing the need for standing against Washington's plots.

Jahangiri also referred to Iran's modification of its nuclear deal undertakings as a move to safeguard the agreement, saying that Iran will resume its halted undertakings once the other parties to the deal come to comply with their undertakings.

Song, for his part, blasted the US unilateralism and bullying, and said, "China is determined to develop relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and there will be no change to the agreements between the two countries, while the two states can also share their experiences to confront the US pressures."

Song also met with Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council Mohsen Rezayee on Sunday.

At the meeting, Rezayee, a former top Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said despite the malicious efforts of the US and UK to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz with escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region, Tehran will not allow such a thing to happen.

“Americans and the British have been fanning the flames of war in the Persian Gulf region to pretend they have control over the Strait of Hormuz and the movement of vessels. Of course, we do not allow this to happen. In the meantime, we expect cooperation from our friends in China,” Rezayee said at the meeting yesterday.

He added that Iran is not seeking war but will defend itself, while the Americans want conflict and seek to increase the tensions.

“Persian Gulf security is our security and we have to respond to their attacks and destabilizing actions in order to maintain security,” the Secretary of the Iranian Expediency Council (EC) said, adding, “We want free shipping and security in the Persian Gulf.”

“We live in the energy region of the world. Any kind of insecurity and conflict in this region would carry harm to global peace and security,” Rezayee said pointing to the new developments in the region.

In the meeting, the Iranian official expressed his appreciation to Song Tao for the good cooperation of China’s ruling party with the EC.

The EC secretary also referred to the Iranian Parliament speaker’s visit to China as indicating the start of a new phase in strategic relations between Iran and China.

He further attached great importance to the Chinese delegation’s visit to Tehran, expressing the hope that the level of the two countries’ relations would increase to a considerable extent after their visit.

He welcomed the Chinese One Belt, One Road Initiative, saying that a special role and position need to be set aside for Iran in that plan.

For his part, Song Tao said, “The mission of the delegation is to strengthen the strategic coordination and dialogue between the two countries and we are willing to confront challenges and problems together.”

“There are complicated and rapid developments happening on the international stage that have created challenges for the countries of China and Iran, but our resolve and determination is to support Iran’s legal and legitimate rights to development and progress,” Tao added.

Iran has denied US claims that sanctions have cut off the country’s oil exports to zero, saying it would exhaust any channel to ship its oil to customers around the world.

Earlier this month, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh underlined that the US sanctions had failed to stop Iran's oil supplies to other countries.

"Zanganeh guaranteed in the meeting that Iran's oil sales continue under any circumstances, specially under sanctions, and we will not allow any disruption in oil sales," Ali Sari, a senior MP, quoted Zanganeh as saying in Tehran in a meeting with the Iranian lawmakers.