FM: Iran will never bow to US pressure

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has cautioned Western countries that Iranian officials are fully vigilant about plots against the Islamic Republic and will never yield to US pressure. “The West thinks that like many countries, Iran will also succumb to the US pressure, but the assumption is basically wrong,” Salehi told IRNA on Monday. He added that Western powers have been hatching countless plots against Iran but the country has succeeded in thwarting their conspiracies through vigilance and prudence. Iran’s top diplomat emphasized that Iranians are vigilant and would never underestimate an enemy even if it is inferior. Iranian officials are fully prepared to defend the Islamic Republic’s accomplishments against the adversaries’ encroachments, the minister pointed out. Salehi said that the Western countries have been exerting pressure on Iran over the past 33 years, and thus imposed sanctions on the country’s different sectors including Iranian banks. “Sanctions may cause minor problems for us, but we will continue on our path,” he stated. The US and EU have imposed financial and oil sanctions against Iran, alleging that the country’s nuclear energy program may have a military aspect. Tehran refutes the allegations, noting that frequent inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency have found no evidence on any diversion in Iran’s nuclear energy program for military purposes.