TEHRAN, June 22 (UPI) -- Sanctions will have very little impact on the durability of the Iranian energy sector, the head of the Iranian gas transit company said.
The U.N. Security Council voted June 9 to place new sanctions on Iran that allow for searches of banned good in cargo to or from Iran and increases the number of individuals and companies subject to travel bans and an asset freeze.
Reza Almasi, the managing director of Iran's gas transfer company, said the sanctions were fruitless, the semiofficial Fars News Agency said.
"I declare very confidently that sanctions do not have any impact on our nation's and oil industry personnel's will of iron," Almasi said.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers announced late Monday that they reached agreements on a draft round of unilateral sanctions that would target exports of gasoline from Iran.
Almasi said such measures only invigorated the domestic energy sector.
"Sanctions strengthen our resolve to move faster towards independence," he said.
The sanctions are meant to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Tehran insists the program is for civilian use, while Western allies say Iran is developing a weapons program.
