Rouhani vows to “break” U.S. sanctions on Iran

The U.S. tightened the noose around Iran on Monday by re-imposing the oil and financial sanctions that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal, a move that prompted a defiant response from the country’s President Hassan Rouhani, who vowed to defy all restrictions.

The sanctions, designed to force Iran to scale back its nuclear and missile programs, will hit its oil exports, shipping and banks while making it difficult for others to do business with Tehran, notes the BBC.

While European countries, still party to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, plan to press ahead with economic tools that help their business circumvent the U.S. sanctions, eight other countries, including China and India, are likely to be exempted from the restrictions and would be able to buy oil from the embattled nation, reports Al Jazeera.