TEHRAN - Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami predicted on Saturday that the U.S. move to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero will fail.

Speaking at a ceremony in his ministry, he said sanctions on Iran’s oil sale and economic pressure fall within the U.S. plots against Iran.

Reminding that Iran has been under sanctions for 40 years, the minister said many achievements in defense industry have been made under sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on April 24 that Iran would do whatever it could to sell oil to provide for its citizens. “I mean there are always ways of going around the sanctions. We have a PhD in that area,” he told Reuters during his trip to New York.

The U.S. announced on April 22 that Washington has decided not to extend waivers allowing major importers to continue buying oil from Iran. The waivers ended on May 2.

‘IRGC pioneer in fighting terrorism’

Defense Minister Hatami also said that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) is a pioneering organization in fighting terrorism in West Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the IRGC as terrorist organization on April 8.

Immediately after the announcement, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council named the CENTCOM a terrorist organization, and the U.S. government a sponsor of terror.

President Hassan Rouhani said on April 10 that the U.S. is aware of the consequences if it takes more steps than “slogans” against the IRGC.

Iranian lawmakers uniformly appeared on the Majlis floor on April 9, wearing outfits of the IRGC in a move to show contempt for the U.S. move.

All MPs, including Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and presiding board members, participated in the symbolic move.

NA/PA