Iran Facing Tough Economic and Psychological War

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed rumors of economic downturn in the Islamic Republic, saying the country is facing a tough economic and psychological war waged by the West.

“A clandestine, vast and heavy war has been waged against Iran on the global scale … and our colleagues in the Central Bank of Iran and other relevant bodies are working hard to find solutions … and this is a real battle,” Ahmadinejad said.

Pointing to the fluctuations in the currency markets in Iran, the president said, “Fluctuations [in the Iranian foreign exchange market] have not begun today. The market has been fluctuating for some time and these fluctuations have only gathered steam recently,” he said.

Ahmadinejad stated that the enemies have imposed embargos on Iran’s crude oil exports and banking transactions to make it difficult for the Islamic Republic to sell oil, as the country’s most important revenues source, or transfer the proceeds once oil is sold.

The Iranian chief executive emphasized that Iran would soon make up for a short decline caused by enemies in its oil exports.

“Keep in mind that it’s a battle. The enemy imagines that it can shatter the will of Iranian nation by applying such pressures and they may even make new decisions.”

He noted that the Iranian nation would overcome these pressures although the enemy continues to ratchet up the pressure.

“The pressures are not exerted on the governments alone, but are [exerted] on the nations too. All these [measures] constitute a psychological warfare and of course certain decisions have been taken. Of course, our people are calm. The enemy has thrown a stone at us, we have to lift it and throw it back at them.”

Ahmadinejad also played down the threats of military strike against the Islamic Republic, adding that such threats mostly represent a war of nerves rather than real intention to attack.

“The Zionist regime [of Israel] is after adventurism in a bid to win a chance. It wrongly imagines that it can acquire that chance by threatening Iran, but they are mistaken. Their time is over and they have to go away,” the Iranian chief executive said.

Ahmadinejad also pointed to relations between Iran and the US, saying that any talks between Tehran and Washington must be based on equal terms and mutual respect and the US must first correct its behavior toward Iran.

Iran's President also said US allegations against Tehran stem from the Islamic Republic’s independence from Washington.

“The Americans level various accusations at whoever they oppose,”Ahmadinejad said.

“Since Iran overthrew a regime, which was 100 percent dependent on the US, from the first days of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution it has been accused of opposing freedom and supporting terrorism,” the Iranian president added.

Ahmadinejad went on to criticize the leaders of the current world order for “oppressing independence-seeking movements, and invading other countries by founding terrorist groups and under the pretext of exporting democracy.”

The Iranian president added that the existing global order survives on war and said, “An order sustained on peace must rule the world.”

The Iranian President also said Iran will not relinquish its right to have a civilian nuclear energy program despite the West’s pressure.

“Keep in mind that it’s a battle. The enemy imagines that it can shatter the will of the Iranian nation by exerting such pressures and they may even make new decisions,” he noted, adding that the nation would eventually overcome the pressure.