Iran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned new US sanctions against Iran’s central bank.
President Barack Obama recently signed the sanctions, which cut off from the US financial system foreign firms that do business with the central bank.
According to Iranian media, Ahmadinejad said the central bank was 'the backbone' of the country in facing outside pressure and should have the strength and confidence 'to thwart enemy plans'.
There have been concerns that the sanctions against the Iranian central bank could force up the price of oil, The BBC reports.
The new US sanctions came at the time of heightened tension over the Iranian nuclear programme.
West says Tehran is seeking to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, Iran, however, insists the programme is purely for energy and medical purposes.
The sanctions are part of a defence bill, which was passed by wide majorities in both houses of Congress, giving the president the power to grant a six-month grace period to give oil markets time to factor them in.
