“Sanctions are oppression and infringement upon a nation’s rights and we must stand up to them and keep aggressors on the back foot,” President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday.

He added that despite the existence and continuation of sanctions, his government has managed to carry out its duties over the past year.

The Iranian president voiced his support for the nuclear negotiating team, stressing that Tehran would not waste time in its negotiations with the P5+1 countries and would put all its efforts and power into the path of nuclear talks.

“This does not mean that we have been scared of sanctions or will be scared. This does not mean that we cannot live with sanctions,” Rouhani stated.

He said efforts should be made to keep anti-Iran sanctions from continuing.

Rouhani’s remarks come a day after the US imposed sanctions on over 25 Iranian individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six banks.

This is while Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US -- plus Germany are in talks to reach a final agreement aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work.

The two sides signed a historic interim deal in Geneva last November. The agreement entered into force on January 20 and expired six months later. In July, Tehran and the six states agreed to extend their discussions until November 24 in a bid to work out a final accord.

The new US sanctions violate the terms of the Geneva deal.

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