Iran central bank governor says US sanctions are pressure tool, not fate

Abdolnasser Hemmati, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), said on Wednesday that US sanctions function as a pressure tool and cannot shape Iran's fate. According to Mehr News Agency (MNA), Hemmati stated that alongside creating some income and trade restrictions, what the United States has done so far has been an effort to intensify expectations and exert temporary influence on market conditions.

"Economic pressure is not a policy but a miscalculation, and it increases the American calculations' cost," Hemmati said. He made the remarks in response to a recent statement by former US President Donald Trump, who promised that Republicans would win the congressional elections and pledged to pay $5,000 to every American if the party wins the midterms. Hemmati described that pledge as part of the same miscalculation cost.

The CBI governor's comments come amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States over sanctions and regional issues. Washington has maintained a series of economic restrictions on Iran, which Tehran has repeatedly said are aimed at pressuring the country. Hemmati's remarks suggest that Iranian officials view the sanctions as a temporary tactic rather than a decisive factor in the country's future.

Hemmati did not provide further details on specific measures Iran might take in response. The report by Mehr News Agency added that the CBI governor's statements were made in the context of the US midterm elections and the former president's campaign promises. The article did not specify the exact date or venue of Hemmati's remarks.

According to Mehr News Agency, Hemmati's comments reflect Iran's position that external economic pressure will not determine its fate. The report noted that the US has been using sanctions as a tool to influence market conditions and expectations, but Hemmati characterized this approach as a miscalculation that ultimately raises costs for the United States.