Iran Blasts Western Media for False Image of Country Under US Sanctions

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Western media's coverage of Iran under reimposed US sanctions does not reflect the current reality, Iranian Culture Minister Abbas Salehi said on Monday.

"The narratives of Western media of the Middle East developments are different from the reality on the grounds…. We should coordinate the subjects and contents in order to create an opportunity for the balance of power," the IRNA news agency quoted Salehi as saying on the sidelines of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) meeting in Tehran.

According to the official, Western media was painting a false picture of Iran under Washington's sanctions.

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Sanctions Against Iran

In May, US President Donald Trump announced his country's decision to leave the Iran nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions against Tehran and other countries doing business with Iran. The first set of economic restrictions, including a ban on purchasing US currency, trading in gold and other precious metals, buying aluminum and steel for industrial purposes, and performing activities related to Iran’s sovereign debt, took effect on August 5. The second portion, including sanctions on Iran's port operations, energy sector and foreign transactions, will be effectuated in November.

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After the sanctions took effect, some Western media have reported that they were having a devastating effect on Iran's economy, including the collapse of the Iranian rial, inflation and power shortages.

Iran has refuted reports on the economy being influenced by US restrictions. In August, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attributed his country's current economic problems to internal factors rather than sanctions.

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