"Sanctions are an invasion of the Iranian nation. We should resist the invasion and put the invaders in their place," Rouhani told officials in remarks broadcast by state TV. "We should not allow the continuation and repetition of the invasion."
Yesterday the United States imposed existing sanctions on more than 25 businesses, banks and individuals suspected of working to expand Iran's nuclear program, support terrorism and help Iran evade US and international sanctions. The move bars Americans from engaging in transactions with any of the designated parties, freezes their assets and blocks their property under US jurisdiction.
Western nations have long suspected Iran of covertly seeking a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges denied by Tehran, which insists its program is for entirely peaceful purposes, like power generation and the production of medical isotopes.
Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers -- the US, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany -- hope to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement by November that would address Western concerns about the nuclear program and lift crippling international sanctions on Tehran.