"This is war," Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, the hardline chief of Iran's influential Guardians Council, said as he led Friday prayers in Tehran.
Iran needs to mobilise "the nation, government, officials and armed forces" to tackle its "special and serious economic problems" which went beyond the global economic malaise, he said.
"We should prepare and break this wave (of economic pressure). We should not surrender," he said.
Janati said officials under the supervision of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were tackling the crisis, and he urged national media to avoid "pessimistic" stories and instead focus on news that "make people happy, hopeful and boost their morale."
The United States ramped up sanctions this week with a congressional measure to punish companies doing business with Iran's energy and oil shipping sector, and an order by President Barack Obama targeting Iran's oil exports and one Chinese and one Iraqi bank alleged to be fronting Iranian banking transactions.
Existing Western sanctions, especially an EU embargo, are already taking their toll, nearly halving Iran crude sales, according to an International Energy Agency estimate.
China, the biggest buyer of oil still exported, has lashed out at the new US sanctions.
But Obama's spokesman said on Wednesday that while the sanctions are having "a significant effect," Iran had "yet to make the choice it needs to make, which is to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions."
The United States alleges Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon "break-out" capacity.
Tehran denies the charge, saying its atomic programme is exclusively peaceful.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed a threat to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu told visiting US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday: "However forceful our statements, they have not convinced Iran that we are serious about stopping them."
He noted that sanctions, and deadlocked negotiations between Iran and world powers, have not had "any impact on Iran's nuclear weapons program."
Khamenei last week underlined that, under the Western pressure, "not only will we not revise our calculations, but we will continue on our path with greater confidence."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed that when he said Iran had 11,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges operating -- hundreds more than reported in a May 25 report by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency.
But signs of the impact of sanctions are piling up.
Iran's currency, the rial, is trading at over 20,000 to the dollar -- around half of what it was worth a year ago.
Abbas Memarnejad, the head of Iran's Customs Organisation, was quoted on the website of state broadcaster IRINN as saying that imports have fallen seven percent in the past four months to 17.3 billion dollars, while non-oil exports had plummeted 16 percent to 12 billion dollars.
Iranian media have shown images of long lines of people waiting to buy subsidised chicken, after prices for the fowl have nearly tripled in the past year because of accelerating inflation.
A closed-door meeting of top Iranian government officials and lawmakers last week agreed to budget cuts as part of a strategy to mitigate the sanctions' effects, according to Economy Minister Shamseddin Hosseini, speaking to the official news agency IRNA.
Iran's central bank chief Mahmoud Bahmani -- who also described the sanctions as "no less than military war" -- said on Tuesday that a special sanctions-management cell had been set up in the bank that met daily.
"In times of sanctions, we need to carry out asymmetrical economic warfare, which we have begun," he said, according to IRNA.
Leaders have said that Iran should start weaning itself off its dependence on oil exports.
Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that "we should move towards stopping crude exports," echoing Khamenei, who called Iran's reliance on selling crude a "trap" inherited from before the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Khamenei has ordered Iran to establish a "resistance economy" marked by greater self-reliance and oriented towards building knowledge and skills.
COMMENTS (29)
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Do you think iran cares? They have always said they want and will wipe out isreal the first chance they get. It will be funny when they provoke them enough and they nuke them. Like the usa if we cant live free we will wipe out everyone and evdrything.
All of you make me sick its uninformed and uneducated post like the worthless letters that you have personally put on your computer. in the history of mankind two nuclear weapons have been used and they are considered extremely weak compared to the stuff that we have now and yet they still killed 1,000,000 people and there are still affects from radiation 75 years later. we only used the bomb because it would cost far more than 1,000,000 lives on each side to fight for all of the islands that japan controlled in world war 2 and unless your to blindly following what someone tells u the US will help anyone who needs it even at the cost of our lives. We are the first to offer help even if we know u dont want it perhaps we figured out something that all of you have not the only choice is to do all u can not for youself or what someone tells you. believe whatever you want no one has used nukes since then because it would be the end of us all. the US created nukes to end a war and you're right between russia and the united states we could exterminate every living organism on the planet a 1000 times over but we don't want that and neither does isreal but iran does and has said so. The united states was born from what we consider now as terrorists and now we are allies and even though the us and russia may disagree from time to time we will never allow and obviously irresponsible government to acquire the strongest weapon ever created and neither will china. economic ties only go so far none of us will put our sons and daughters lives at risk. The nuclear fallout from an iranian nuke or nukes can hit every country around it and will absolutely go into china and russia does anyone actually believe theyll just sit back and let that happen.
Islamic collective? there is no such thing as Islamic collective. Its a drama by the rulers to keep the commoners or naive Muslims happy.
Israel, a tiny nation the size of Vermont, is a threat to the entire middle eastern islamic collective????. A collective with a landmass greater than all of north America. Please. Iranian rhetoric is pathetic and frightened. These sanctions are deserved and preferable to loss of human life. Iran should lead the way with ways to harness the massive solar and wind energy potential within their own borders. Make a mark on history in a positive way.
You cant convince the world that your producing uranium or trying to make nukes for peaceful purposes. It just doesnt make sense. So Israel have a reason to feel a threat from Iran.especially if they been attacking or shooting at Israel the past few years. Who wouldnt feel threaten that why while these sanctions are brought up to persuade or convince Iran that it isnot good because Israel are threating to bomb them. Amerca trying hard to stop this befre it breaks out as a full scale war. Thats why Russia and China arent sayin much becuase this has been agrred upon or cut off until a certaint extent.
Its real simple Iran just need to stop making or trying to make nukes simple as that. Super powers countries dont even make.them becuz it really is a weapon to destroy or.even extinct a race more.so.ever it ruins and destroy the earth.Even U.N. even vouch to maintain a proficiency amouunt of uranioum and show that they can maintain stabilty from having a melt down. Its hard very hard to convince the world that you are making nukes for.peaceful purposes I just dont see it
Great leadership of Iran standing against the brutal tyrants of the World.
Why doesnt US or Israel halt their nuclear activities? Why Iran? Why are they assisting Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi governments/tyrant kings in their nuclear activities? Why dont they raise their voice and stop atrocities of regime in Myanmar, Bahrain, Qatif (Saudi Arabia) on common public.
I highly appreciate Iranian regime for taking this firm stand. Enlightened people should support Iran against this US led hooligan hegemony.
Being killed standing on the foot is far better than living on your knees
If the Iranian leaders want to “make people happy, hopeful and boost their morale.” Well put food on the table and make life affordable for ordinary Iranians. The Green Revolution in 2009 and other opposition movements hadn't been able to bring the regime down. Yet the shortage of fuel and food might.
It is interesting how some commentators equate being a superpower with having nuclear weapons. Haven't you learned anything from the state Pakistan is in today? You decry the west and still line up outside its embassies to emigrate and still depends on the morsels of aids thrown your way. You abhor secular values and still enjoy all the benefits that western science and technology brings you by way of the internet. If you really savor the dark age and its warped fundamentalist values, move into caves and live off the land.
What hypocritical and self-destructive mentality!
What doesn't kill you only makes your stronger. As soon as Iran becomes a nuclear power the equation will change. The balance of power will shift away from the west. No pain, no gain. Iran is right to stay on course towards greater power. There is no real strength without ambition. The future belongs to those who act to achieve their ambitions. Iran is a country with tremendous natural and human resources, it has a great cultural influence outside it's borders, it is not just a country, it is an entire civilization of it's own, it is only logical for it to pursue greater power. Unlike the rest of Muslim countries who are beggars and weaklings, backstabbers and sycophants, subsisting on whatever scraps which their western masters choose to leave them.
Iran should immediately give up on its nuclear weapon aspirations.
It cant face the US. Its also better to learn from what Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have gone through
Wake up Iran
Iran will do this...... Iran will do that..... Iran will never bow................................ bla bla bla.... YEAH WHATEVER!!!
"If he is a Muslim, then he must be right".
Pakistanis should start seriously review this policy of theirs !
This is quite a change from "we don't care about sanctions. they won't hurt us at all." I wonder when Iran will realize they have one consistent behavior that sticks out badly. They bluff. They bluff a lot. When it becomes a pattern it's hard for people to resist calling you on it. Especially when the reactions are so entertaining.
Iranian leadership should do whatever is good for the Iranian people and their future. Strong armies and Nuclear weapons do not make a country stronger. Look at us, we have a very strong army and atom bombs but more than sixty percent of Pakistan is no go area for a common Pakistani.
@shazada zahid loan: @Saqib: @Cynical: @Malik: @A2Z: Iran is a signatory to the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons), but was found in non-compliance to what it had agreed. IAEA's Mohamed El-Baradei, the Director General and a Muslim, reported that Iran failed in its safeguards obligations and also failed to declare its uranium enrichment programme.
This conflict is NOT about peaceful nuclear use because for that Iran can get the enriched nuclear material from one of the IAEA members—this offer has been made several times. Iran's behaviour, despite being part of the NPT, has shown the IAEA that (Iran) has bad intent and cannot be trusted. As Pakistan had has not signed the NPT, its proliferation was quite differerent than is the case of Iran.
@Junaid:
Exactly Iran shouldn't expect anything from us and our papers shouldn't help out Iran. As for nuclear ambitions: it was the Iranian government which signed NPT and it was also the Iranian government which ratted out Pakistan and its assistance to Iran in building nuclear weapons.
So Iran should learn to honour its international agreements and our people should stop feel sorrow for Iran or other Middle Eastern nations who use every opportunity to arm twist Pakistan.
@Mj: Tis was the pretext to attack Iraq...and now Iran. Surely if it comes to height of shamelessness, there is none equal to US. Iraq HAD wmdS and now Iran also has it. wow...
Bismillah. Anytime any nation chooses to eliminate oppression and annexation of Muslim lands (Zionist occupied territories) I'm all for it even if the Iranian people have to start eating brush. We Pakistanis too had sanctions put on us when we developed our nuclear capabilities. Now if Muslim superpower Pakistan would step up its game and stop kowtowing to non-Muslim powers that would be a first. Time of demonocracy/secular period is coming to close and we Muslims must win our lands and disputes through force and be mujahideen. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said our enemies would be embolden against us and not fear us in the end because we were in love of this dunya and not because we don't have the numbers. Let the black banners fly high and never waiver. Allah Akbar X3.
@A2Z
Iran has been requested, not asked to drop their nuclear ambition. It is upto Iran to choose between Nuclear capability and sanctions. Iranian Govt. would do a favour to itself and to Iranian people to remember 'Discretion is the better part of valour.
@A2Z. It's not all that complicated. Iran willingly signed a treaty which prohibits their development of nuclear weapons and also grants the UN certain rights to inspect their facilities to insure that they are in compliance with the treaty they signed. Iran has been caught red handed lying about it's nuclear ambitions on numerous occasions - so often than even China and Russia could no longer look the other way and voted for sanctions against Iran. If Iran is serious about it's "peaceful" nuclear ambitions then all it has to do is fully cooperate with the UN inspectors.
This is irrational thinking that Iran is irresponsible nuclear country. If we study American history we will see that to avoid casualties of its few solders America dropped atom bombs on Japan. After 9/11 they didn't conduct any investigation neither black boxes from the planes were found and investigated. They instantly attacked Iraq and then Afghanistan, completely destroyed them with millions of innocent Muslims killed. America used Daisy Cluster Bombs in Afghanistan which are like mini nuclear bombs. Is America a responsible country??????? Russia is having more than 12,000 nuclear weapons, America is having around 6,000 (if i am not wrong), Israel is having more than 350 BUT still world is afraid of Pakistan's 200 and Iran's single nuclear bomb.
@Khalq e Khuda.....Iran is still far far better than Pakistan and has economy standing firm without begging to the world like Pakistan.....What Iran can expect from a Global Beggar.....:D
@ A2Z......Iran should learn self-restraint.....uncontrolled blabbering has lead Iran into this situation and the fake self-confidence will shatter the day US/Israel will take military action.....so its time to listen to the majority of Iranians and dont risk their future for nukes....
Power or people? What will the Iranian Government choose?
This is nothing more than Americas efforts to destroy yet another Muslim country. First they'll weaken it economically, then attack militarily to take over their oil and allow Israel to expand unchecked into Lebanon and Palestine...and Muslims stand by and watch. This is when Pakistan should start expanding its trade with Iran. Trade food and textiles for Iranian oil!
The Iranians have all the right to build nuclear weapons to counter the Israeli arsenal that is only second to the Americans. It is unjust to have two laws - if Sadam had a nuclear arsenal he would not have been hanged. What do you think?
Iran deserves this more than most countries. Pakistan offered an olive branch to Iran and barter trade agreements wheat and other goods in return for oil, gas, fertilizer etc. Iran refused as it wanted money and one-sided trade.
Whether it is Reformist government in Iran, a Conservative or an Ultra Conservative one they are united in their disdain for Pakistan. We should strike a deal with the Western powers to get some benefits as clearly Iran has learned any lessons over past 30 years.
@MJ...why they should drop their nuclear ambition? Those who are stopping Iran, holds nuclear weapons and used them as well. Iranian leadership has not chosen this path but war hungry imperialists are pushing Iran towards this path.
This is a path that Iranian leadership has chosen itself for the country. They would drop their nuclear ambitions if they cared about the welfare of common people.