Ahmadinejad says his country will succeed in the battle against the West
Iran’s president Ahmadinejad has said that “a heavy, covert and all-around battle” was being waged against his country by the West, admitting that Iran was experiencing difficulties in selling oil and receiving payments as a result of Western sanctions. In July, the European Union banned oil imports from Iran, just after the U.S. enacted tough measures against Iran’s central bank. The sanctions, aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear development programme, have severely harmed its economy. Speaking on a live TV talk show, Ahmadinejad admitted that the West’s sanctions had created problems in oil exports and banking. However, he insisted the barriers would soon be lifted, though he failed to specify how. The remarks preceded Ahmadinejad’s trip to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly later this month.