Iran's President Hassan Rouhani presented a state budget of 4,700 trillion rials to parliament, saying U.S. sanctions would affect Iranians’ lives and economic growth but not bring the government to its knees.
"America’s goal is to bring Iran’s Islamic system to its knees... and it will fail in this, but sanctions will no doubt affect people’s lives, and the country’s development and economic growth," the president told parliament in a speech carried live on state television.
Rouhani gave the value of the draft budget at about 4,700 trillion rials (about $47 billion) for the next Iranian year which starts on March 21, 2019, Reuters reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on Iran, including on its vital oil industry.
