Iran can overcome any return of sanctions, says President

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that this would be through a "snapback" process.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that this would be through a "snapback" process.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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DUBAI - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed on Sept 20 that Iran would overcome any reimposition of sanctions on it through a so-called “snapback” process, after the UN Security Council

voted not to permanently lift sanctions

on Tehran.

“Through the ‘snapback’ they block the road, but it is the brains and the thoughts that open or build the road,” Mr Pezeshkian said in remarks carried by state television.

“They cannot stop us. They can strike our Natanz or Fordow (nuclear installations attacked by the US and Israel in June), But they are unaware that it is humans who built and will rebuild Natanz,” Mr Pezeshkian said.

The Security Council move came on Sept 19 after Britain, France and Germany

launched a 30-day process in August

to reimpose sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies having any such intention.

“We will never surrender in the face of excessive demands because we have the power to change the situation,” Mr Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.

The “snapback” process would reimpose UN sanctions on Iran unless an agreement is reached on a delay between Tehran and key European powers within about a week.

The snapback would reimpose an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a ban on activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities. REUTERS

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