Iran says it will respond to US sanctions, breach of n-deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Tehran will respond to any breach of the nuclear deal by Washington after US House of Representatives passed a new sanctions bill.

Iran's national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session to discuss its response, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Iranians well know that they should resist and stand against their enemies," he said. "Over the past 40 years (following the victory of the Islamic Republic in 1979), Iranians have faced numerous pressures, sanctions and accusations by the US politicians and their propaganda machine."

"Americans cannot tolerate an independent and influential country (like Iran) in this sensitive region," he said.

Parliament voted earlier this month to fast-track a bill introduced in June that would increase funds for Iran's missile programme and Revolutionary Guards.

The US House passed a new sanctions bill on Tuesday, targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guards as well as Russia and North Korea.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the bill was "very clearly a hostile measure" even if it was only "a compilation of previous US sanctions in the non-nuclear fields".

--IANS

py/vt