IRNA – Contrary to the West’s claims, the burden of sanctions was mainly shouldered by the people in Iran not the government, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said here on Tuesday.


“When they put under sanctions Iran’s oil sector and the country’s incomes drop as a result, this is going to mean that all services provided by the government are going to be affected,” President Rouhani said at the Festival of Health Facilities Construction in the Iranian capital.

“When there is no oil, there will be no income, and no economic growth, he noted, adding that under such conditions, collecting taxes by the government to pay for its expenses is going to be very hard and sometimes impossible.

The President went on to say that the sanctions imposed on Iran were very well felt not only in the economic sector, but also in the healthcare and environmental sectors, that made the government to try to address the vital issues soon after taking office in 2013.