Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says sanctions will fail to stop the country's progress in different fields.

"In spite of sanctions, Iran's achievements in various fields, particularly in the defense and missile industry sectors as well as the nuclear industry have astonished the world," Salehi told IRNA on Sunday.

He added that the United States has been pursuing the policy of imposing sanctions on the Iranian nation since the victory of the Islamic Revolution some 40 years ago, emphasizing that sanctions were nothing new for Iran.

Iran's nuclear chief noted that the country has managed to achieve great success despite all kinds of pressures, restrictions, eight years of Iraqi-imposed war and crippling sanctions.

The AEOI chief emphasized that the Iranian nation relied on its own capabilities despite all the sanctions, saying Iran's long-range missiles and nuclear gains have become famous in the world.

The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on November 5 the re-imposition of the “toughest” sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off its oil sales and crucial exports. The bans had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The first round of the anti-Iran bans -- which had been lifted under the accord -- was re-imposed in August.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday dismissed his American counterpart's starvation threat, stressing that the Islamic Republic will survive and even advance despite Washington’s sanctions.

In a post on his official Twitter account, Zarif said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's open threat to starve the Iranian nation was "a crime against humanity" and "a desperate attempt to impose US whims on Iran."

Zarif's tweeted remarks came after Pompeo said in an interview with BBC Persian that Iranian officials must listen to Washington "if they want their people to eat."

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