“The West imagines that with economic pressure it can reduce Iran’s resilience,” Larijani said, adding that “the nation of Iran, with resistance and faith, will pass through this stage as well.”
Speaking at a local event in Tehran on Thursday, Larijani pointed to the efforts made by Tehran to prevent the so-called snapback mechanism.
“In the matter of snapback as well, all efforts were made so that negotiations would result in a conclusion, but the Westerners stipulated that Iran reduce the range of its missiles to under 500 km, and in effect, they wanted to take the most important defensive weapon of the Iranian nation.”
He added that this demand concerned Iran’s “national security.”
Iran has rejected the legality of E3 (France, Germany, UK) triggering the snapback of UN sanctions, calling the mechanism “null and void” and a “fabricated” term. On Saturday, Tehran announced the expiration of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and its relevant provisions and restrictions.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that with the conclusion of the 10-year period set by the resolution on Saturday, the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program must now be treated like that of any other non-nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran has faced sustained economic pressure in recent years, particularly after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and re-imposed sweeping sanctions under the so-called “maximum pressure” policy.
Despite these pressures, Iran has sought to adapt through increased domestic production, non-dollar trade mechanisms, and expanding economic ties with partners in Asia and neighboring states.
Larijani noted that if “we want national resistance to continue, we must stand united and speak with one voice,” emphasizing that “national security belongs to all people and defending it is a collective duty.”
‘Theatrical’ Sharm El-Sheikh Summit
Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani dismissed the recently held 2025 Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as ineffective.
He described it as “a display” and said that while some called it an “opportunity”, “in fact, this meeting was fruitless and theatrical.”
He noted that the summit’s 20-point plan under US President Donald Trump aimed to “disarm Hamas” and was executed by an Englishman, repeating the same error Washington made in Iraq.
“They thought they could impose a new order in Iraq, but faced the theory of Ayatollah Sistani, the Leader of the Revolution and the popular movement, and realized their mistake.”
He said that the reason Iran did not attend the summit was “the low level and uselessness of that session” and that it constituted “a completely humiliating show for participants.”
Fighting terrorism outside Iran’s borders
Larijani, who was speaking at the commemoration ceremony of Martyr Hossein HamAdani, an IRGC commander who lost his life in the battle with Daesh terrorists in Syria, pointed to Iran’s fight against terrorism across the region.
“Some people ask why we gave so many martyrs and costs, but the region is still in crisis?” He answered that Daesh terrorists were “very dangerous beings” active in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon who aimed to destabilize Iran.
“These groups were suppressed through the strategic actions of the Islamic Republic, and the broad movement of Daesh—formed by the Americans—was dismantled. Iran made the right decision by confronting the terrorists beyond its own borders,” he added.
Press TV