Iran's Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Tehran is fully prepared to confront US sanctions, declaring that Washington "will not be able to cut our financial arteries."
"We have been preparing for these days for a long time," Madanizadeh told state television, saying Iran had been aware of American plans and that the government had drawn up a two-year plan in anticipation of the escalation.
He said Iran was "fully prepared to confront the sanctions and American measures," saying that "the era of the unipolar world is over" and that Washington would once again realize it "will not succeed at all."
The remarks follow US President Donald Trump's declaration of what he called an "unprecedented economic war" on Iran, in which he threatened countries supporting Tehran with "dire economic consequences."
Trump demanded a halt to what he called oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies tied to Iran.
