TEHRAN – Chairman of the pro-reform Hope faction in the parliament has said Iran is the final decision-maker of how much oil it needs to export.

“If we decide to export oil, we can do this under any circumstances and the path is not closed,” Mohammad Reza Aref said, ISNA reported on Saturday.

Aref further said Iran will not succumb to the sanctions.

The former vice president said Iran has gained successful experience on how to survive sanctions. “Whenever we fought against sanctions, we succeeded and moved toward self-sufficiency and reduced dependency” upon other countries, the veteran politician remarked.

Since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a year ago, the White House has reimposed the sanctions that were lifted as part of the agreement against the Islamic Republic.

MH/PA