Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Chinese media that building closer relationships with China and Russia can help neutralize the "cruel" sanctions imposed by the United States.

In an interview for CGTN on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Raisi considered that "the relationship between Iran and the countries in the region can certainly neutralize a great many of these sanctions - today at the hands of the Americans."

"Sanctions are a weapon. In yesteryears, they used to put boots on the ground, so to speak, and use military action. But today the face of that threat has been changed to the imposition of cruel sanctions, which is a cruel imposition on nations," the Iranian President indicated.

The head of state pointed out that sanctions are "a form of war waged against nations," emphasizing that "the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran, China and Russia, and others who may be under sanctions can, in itself, be a great contributor to neutralizing these sanctions imposed by the Americans."

"Despite the sanctions we have been subjected to thus far, we have seen great progress in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Americans did not expect this level of progress," Raisi pointed out during the interview.

"However, we are committed and focused, despite the sanctions, to move towards even more progress in many different arenas in our country in a committed and firm fashion, by augmenting relationships with friendly countries such as China, Russia, and Central Asian countries," he stressed.

According to the Iranian leader, "People from all over the globe do not have fond memories from the old time, the era of hegemony, the era of unilateralism, the era of trampling upon the rights of many nations."

He said that "we believe the new era is an era of multilateralism. Through our cooperation between us, China, Russia, and other members within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Eurasia Organization, and Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), these collaborative efforts in cooperation can bring about the creation of new powers."

"We firmly believe that this can also contribute to the elimination of unilateralism," he added.

Regarding the Islamic Republic's ties with China, the Iranian President noted, "We have a deep-rooted relationship and a very old relationship with China. It is a strategic relationship," adding that "we have signed a 25-year agreement, a comprehensive agreement with China, and perhaps some are less than happy due to the fact that we have reached this agreement."

Iran that was a victim of terrorism became a haven of security: Raisi

On Wednesday, Raisi affirmed that the Iranian people believe that injustice is what stirs strife in the region, adding that Tehran supports global justice and rejects the injustice that stirs sedition.

During a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Raisi stressed that the Iranian people are determined to achieve justice, but the unipolar world refuses so, adding that the Islamic Republic, which was the victim of terrorism, has today become a haven of security and anti-terrorism.

Iran not seeking to build, obtain nuclear weapons

The Iranian President noted that some countries consider Iran a threat due to its nuclear program, reiterating that "Iran is not seeking to build or obtain nuclear weapons and such weapons have no place in our doctrine."

He noted that in 2015, Iran accepted the nuclear agreement but faced the US withdrawal from it.

"We have been extremely flexible," Raisi affirmed, adding that "had it not been for our flexibility, the negotiations would have stopped in the very first few days."

Raisi considered that "the maximum pressure campaign waged by the US has endured an embarrassing defeat," expressing Tehran's readiness and seriousness to conclude the nuclear talks and reach an agreement if the interests of the Iranian people are taken into account.

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