Tehran: Washington is practicing economic terrorism and we have the ability to confront any enemy

The Iranian Foreign Ministry considered the United States to impose new sanctions on its country as proof of its diplomatic weakness and accused it of practicing "economic terrorism." Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami said that Iran is strengthening its capabilities to be able to target any point that its enemies might use to attack it.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a statement that the US sanctions on Iran's construction sector are proof of its weakness in diplomacy, saying that the US administration is unable to adopt effective diplomacy in its dealings and that it relies on pressure and economic terrorism.

Mousavi called on Washington to return to the nuclear agreement that it withdrew from, and to implement its obligations under it.

Addressing the anniversary of the 1979 storming of the US embassy in Tehran, the IRGC commander stressed that Iran does not accept the threat and is capable of confronting any enemy, but will use these capabilities when necessary.

"We do not aspire in any region of the world, but we will expand our sphere of influence to areas that the enemy may exploit to target us to defend ourselves from any possible targeting.

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that his country has the will and the strength and sufficient technical to defend itself during any confrontation.

Salami stressed that Iran does not accept the threat and terrorism and that it will not yield and will not surrender in the face of its enemies, as he put it, and considered that the United States is no longer the first power in the world.

A statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that Iran's construction sector was under the Revolutionary Guards, and that as a result, the sale of raw or semi-manufactured metals, graphite, coal and software for industrial purposes would be subject to sanctions if they were to be used in the construction sector.

In a second resolution, Pompeo specified that four "strategic items" were used in nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs, making trade there subject to sanctions. These materials include stainless steel tubes and magnesium chips.