Rouhani says Iran resists sanctions, drives US 'desperate'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a speech during the ceremony of the National Army Day parade in Tehran, Iran on September 22, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)

DUBAI, September 23 (Reuters): Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday new U.S. sanctions, under which Iran’s central bank was blacklisted for a second time, pointed to U.S. “desperation” in face of Iranian resistance.

The United States on Friday imposed another round of sanctions on Iran, including on its central bank which was already blacklisted, following the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi oil facilities that Riyadh and U.S. officials have blamed on Iran.

Tehran denies involvement in the attacks which was claimed by Yemen’s Houthi movement, an Iran-aligned group fighting a Saudi-led alliance in Yemen’s civil war.

“Americans are sanctioning institutions that have already been blacklisted. This signals America’s complete desperation and shows that it’s “maximum pressure” has failed...as the great Iranian nation has resisted successfully,” Rouhani said in remarks carried by state television.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the United States aimed to avoid war with Iran and the additional troops ordered to be deployed in the Gulf region were for “deterrence and defence”.

But Rouhani said the situation had become “instense” in the region and blamed it on Washington.

“The region has become instense...They make propaganda about damage (in Saudi ) which can be repaired in two weeks ... because America wants to conquer the region,” Rouhani said.

Rouhani said he would introduce a regional peace plan dubbed HOPE (Hormuz Peace Endeavour) at the United Nations General Assembly this week.

“All countries of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and the United Nations are invited to join,” Rouhani said before leaving for New York to attend the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Iran says legal steps for British tanker release completed

An Iranian government spokesman said on Monday that all legal steps had been completed for the release of the detained British-flagged tanker Stena Impero but that he did not know when the vessel would be released, Iranian media reported.

The July 19 seizure of the ship, two weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar, cranking up tensions in the region in the wake of attacks on other merchant vessels that Washington blamed on Tehran.

Iran denied responsibility for those attacks, which took place along a vital international oil shipping route.

“The legal work and administrative procedures for the release of the English tanker have been completed but I have no information on the time of the release,” said government spokesman Ali Rabiei, according to semi-official news agency ILNA.

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Rabiei as saying: “The legal work for the oil tanker is over ... and the oil tanker can move, and the decisions indicate the end of the detention.” He did not elaborate.

Relations between the United States, its allies and Iran have been gradually more strained since Washington withdrew last year from a global pact aimed at reining in Tehran’s nuclear programme and imposed sanctions on it aimed at shutting down Iranian oil exports.