Although US sanctions have inflicted hardship on Iranians, they will have no long-term effect, and the Islamic Republic knows how to counter the bans, says a political commentator.

“The US has tried sanctions against a number of countries, they’ve inflicted a degree of hardship, there’s no question, they’re having that effect in Iran, but long-term, they’re never successful; and Iran has a number of things it can do to counter those sanctions, and will (do so),” said author and commentator John Steppling in an interview with Press TV on Friday.

Rebuking Washington for propagating “mendacity” about Iran, Steppling also said Saudi Arabia “is guilty of everything that the US accuses Iran of.”

“Besides of course the Saudis having a weekly head-chopping orgy in the town square, it’s just astounding hypocrisy” on the part of the US in its approach towards Iran and Saudi Arabia, he added.

The administration of US president announced fresh sanctions on Iran on Friday, targeting the country’s petrochemical industry, including its largest petrochemical holding group, called Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC).