MNA – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country will not implore the enemy to alleviate the pressure of sanctions, highlighting the nation’s resolve to withstand the hardships.

President Rouhani made the remarks during the inauguration of the section I of Tehran-Shomal freeway which shortens the route between the Iranian capital and Mazandaran province.

“We completed the project while under sanctions,” Rouhani added.

“It is a source of great pride for us that sanctions did not manage to make a dent on the resolve of our engineers, construction workers and managers to complete this significant project,” he said.

The president maintained that sanctions could, however, delay the schedule of completing the project.

“This year, we had many problems and tragedies,” Rouhani said, referring to the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani, the loss of lives in Kerman, and the passengers of Flight 752.

“It was a difficult year. But our people braved through it. They didn’t bow to the pressure of sanctions. They did not become desperate. And neither will we. Our nation will not implore the enemy and will not submit. They will withstand hardships to disappoint the enemy.”

The first section of Tehran-Shomal freeway spans for nearly 32 kilometers and connects Azadegan freeway in the capital to Shahrestanak county in Alborz province.

Earlier in February, Eslami had termed Tehran-Shomal Freeway as a ‘megaproject’, noting that “although construction of this project took more than 24 years, the main part of the construction of this mega project started in 2015 at the initiative taken by Mostazafan Foundation and cooperation of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.”

The mega project consists of four phases spanning 121 km in total.

Section IV, which is 20 kilometers long and connects Marzanabad in Kelardasht District to Chalous (both in Mazandaran), was inaugurated in March 2014.