Iran to overcome sanctions: supreme leader

TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplayed Wednesday the Western sanctions against the Islamic republic, saying the Iranian nation will overcome problems as always, Press TV reported.

The Iranian leader dismissed claims by the United States and its allies that they will lift sanctions against Iran if Tehran abandons its nuclear program.

"They pretend that the sanctions will be lifted if the Iranian nation gives up nuclear energy. They lie. They make decisions out of grudge and aversion (toward Iran) and impose irrational sanctions," he was quoted as saying.

Khamenei stressed that the Iranian nation will emerge victorious in the battle as it has overcome much bigger problems over the past decades.

The UN Security Council imposed four rounds of sanctions on Iran between 2006 and 2010 over its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program, which Western countries suspect could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

The United States and the European Union (EU) have imposed and expanded sanctions toward Iran over the years despite Tehran's insistence on the peaceful nature of its nuclear drive.

The EU imposed an embargo on Iran's oil export on July 1 and has threatened to put further sanctions on Iran's natural gas exports.