On Monday evening, the Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei stated that sanctions are a weapon used by big countries against states throughout the world, stressing that paying attention to internal strengths and capacities renders this weapon ineffective.

Khamenei made the remarks while hosting Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

"Sanctions are major powers’ weapon against nations. What disables this weapon is paying attention to internal strengths and capacities," he declared.

Despite the sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant development in a variety of disciplines, according to Sayyed Khamenei.

He considered that had it not been for the sanctions, "these achievements wouldn’t have been made because sanctions made us rely on our own domestic strengths and capacities."

Meanwhile, he stated that the ability for developing cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan in numerous domains is far more than the existing level and that it has to be fundamentally strengthened, adding that Iran and Tajikistan are cousins and brothers.

Khamenei added that "Iran and Tajikistan share concerns about Afghanistan. Both countries are worried about the spread of terrorism and the growth of takfiri groups in Afghanistan. We believe that those who are currently governing in Afghanistan should manage to include all groups by forming a comprehensive, inclusive government."