Ahmadinejad Dismisses US Gasoline Embargo on Iran as Unfruitful

Addressing an inaugural ceremony to mark the start of operation of the Middle-East's biggest iron ore pelletizing factory in southern Iran on Saturday, Ahmadinejad said US efforts to rally worldwide support for gasoline embargoes against Iran would fail to bring Washington's desired results because the country enjoys the potential and capability to reach the refining capacity needed for meeting its domestic demand.

‘They imagine that if do not supply the Iranian nation with gasoline, the Iranian nation would go upset or weak, but this won't be the case because (under such circumstances) we would rapidly tell our experts to produce gasoline at the earliest,’ he said.

‘What kind of democracy do such measures represent? We like you to revise your behavior and side with the nations,’ Ahmadinejad said addressing the western countries, specially the US.

‘Do no imagine that you can stop Iran's construction. Iran will be constructed amidst your deepest and strongest animosity because the more obvious your animosity becomes, the more motivation our nation will have for construction and progress (of the country),’ he added.

The comments by the Iranian president came after the US Senate passed a legislation to expand sanctions on foreign companies that invest in Iran's energy sector.

The measure requires sanctions against foreign companies that sell refined petroleum to Iran or help develop its refining capacity.

The bill, which later received the approval of the House of Representatives, says companies that continue to sell gasoline and other refined oil products to Iran will be banned from receiving Energy Department contracts to deliver crude to the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The bill now goes to US President Barack Obama for signing. Both chambers must approve identical legislation before it can go to Obama to sign into law.

Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter but the country relies on gasoline imports to meet 40 percent of its domestic demand due to the drivers' lavish consumption resulted from heavily subsidized cheap pump prices.

Source: farsnews.com