Officials Dismiss Sanctions as Futile TEHRAN (Press TV) – A senior Iranian commander has criticized the European Union's recent move to impose new sanctions on Iran's oil sector, saying sanctions will lead nowhere. "These sanctions are aimed at exerting psychological pressures and hardship on the Iranian government and nation, but will lead nowhere," deputy chairman of Joint Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Thursday. Jazayeri described sanction as a kind of soft war that the global super capitalist regimes apply against Iran's Islamic Revolution, saying they are struggling to make the country give in to their illegitimate demands. Commenting on the objectives behind the EU sanctions, the official said that the enemy (Israel, US and its allies) seek to 'exhaust' both the Iranian authorities and nation. The commander went on to say that the United States and the global Zionism are making efforts to undermine the resistance of the Iranian nation and government through imposing such manifold sanction. However, he said, the enemy's major mistake is its wrong evaluation of the Iranian society. Jazayeri called for an immediate response to the West's move, suggesting a halt to Iran's oil exports to EU member states. There is no doubt the measure will bring the EU to its knees, he underlined. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian lawmaker has recommended Saudi Arabia not to engage in the West's recent anti-Iran campaign after Riyadh claimed to compensate for the loss of Iranian oil in the global market. "We recommend Saudi Arabia to avoid getting involved in anti-Iran scenarios," spokesman for Iran's Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Kazem Jalali, said Friday. Saudi Arabia should not fall for the Western scenarios and play against Iran, he added. Jalali said that claims by Saudi's oil minister that the Kingdom could compensate for the loss of Iran oil might stain relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi had said earlier this month that the kingdom is able to produce 12.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil while it is currently producing around 9-9.5 million barrels. Meanwhile, another member of Iran's Majlis warned that engaging in an oil war with the Islamic Republic will bring the EU to its knees. "Iran will not allow even a drop of oil to be exported to the EU states in case of an oil war," said spokesman for the Majlis Commission on Energy Emad Husseini. Iran, which has the third largest oil reserves in the world, cannot be removed from global energy transactions, he added. Iran is a strong country and oil sanction against it will harm the EU because it will enable Tehran to ensure its oil dominance in the region, the legislator pointed out. Husseini stated that Europe will be the main loser in the oil war between Iran and the EU since the bloc will face additional pressure and internal crises after a halt to Tehran's oil exports. Meanwhile, Iranian ambassador to Austria described the European Union's sanctions on the Islamic Republic as psychological warfare, saying the country's central bank has no financial assets in the EU. Ebrahim Sheibani pointed to the terms of EU sanctions and said they involve a ban on the sale of gold to Iran “while EU has not sold any gold to Iran for the past five-six years”. Sheibani, who is the former governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), also mentioned that Iran has not purchased any diamond from the EU in the past 32 years. Commenting on the EU sanctioning the Iranian oil, Sheibani said that about 82% of Iran's oil is exported to non-European countries and the remaining 18% will easily find its way to other markets. He also referred to the 20-30% increase in oil prices, saying that Europe's ban on Iran's oil has no effect on the country's revenues. On December 31, 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law new sanctions which seek to penalize countries importing Iran's oil or doing transaction with the country's central bank. In their latest meeting in Brussels on January 23, EU foreign ministers also imposed new sanctions on Iran which include a ban on purchasing oil from the country, a freeze on the assets of Iran's Central Bank within the EU, and a ban on the sale of diamonds, gold and other precious metals to Iran. Iran Rejects Azeri Terror Link Claims TEHRAN (Press TV) -- Iran's embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, has categorically rejected any links between Iranian security bodies and a terrorist group recently arrested in Azerbaijan, saying the U.S. and the occupying regime of Israel are behind such a scenario. Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry revealed last week that it uncovered a cell planning terrorist attacks. The ministry claimed that the gang leader was collaborating with the Iranian "secret services". "It is clearly obvious that the recent scenario is aimed at covering up the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists by Israeli-led agents, said the Iranian embassy in a statement. It added that enemies of Iran and Azerbaijan hatched such a plot to deal a blow to the Islamic Republic's international image and damage relations between the two neighboring countries. "The honorable people of Azerbaijan are well aware of various the plots by the U.S. and the Zionist regime against Iran and Azerbaijan, and assess such scenarios as part of their efforts to spread Iranophobia and Islamophobia." The statement emphasized that Iran's foreign policy on neighboring states, particularly on Azerbaijan, has been based on good neighborliness, constructive interaction and non-interference in their internal affairs. It noted that close relations between Tehran and Baku will pose a serious danger to the global arrogance and opponents of the two sides' independence and dignity. The embassy reiterated that such bids cannot damage the strategic ties between Iran and Azerbaijan, given the significance that the two countries' presidents attach to the expansion of bilateral relations. However, it is necessary to be more vigilant, attentive and serious to prevent the propagation of such reports which are not in line with the political resolve of the two countries, the statement concluded. Foreign Ministry: Ties With Brazil Normal TEHRAN (Fars) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast underlined the importance of the relations between Tehran and Brasilia, and said Iran and the Latin American country will continue consultation on different regional and international issues. The Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to its relations with Brazil as the biggest country in Latin America and one of the world's emerging powers, Mehmanparast said Thursday. He said that Tehran and Brasilia have had positive relations, adding that the ties between the two countries have been significantly growing in different areas over the past few years. The Iranian official pointed out that there has been no change in Tehran's view of relations with Brazil and reiterated that the two countries will continue to hold consultations and interactions. Mehmanparast said that certain media outlets and countries were dismayed by Iran-Brazil relations, resorting to media propaganda to tarnish the ties. Since taking office in 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expanded Iran's cooperation with many Latin American states, including Venezuela, Cuba and Brazil. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced in a report in December 2009 that Brazil is the largest trade partner of Iran among the Latin American countries. Data also showed that Iran's trade with Latin America tripled to $2.9bln in 2008. The report said the turnover of economic exchanges between Iran and its largest trade partner in Latin America, i.e. Brazil, reached around $1.3bln in 2008. In January 2010, Tehran hosted a conference on 'Investment Opportunities in Brazil' to review ways of expanding economic cooperation between Iran and the Latin American state. Tehran's relations with Brasilia specially warmed up since the former Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, came to power. Da Silva, in cooperation with Turkey, even worked out a proper plan - known as the Tehran Declaration - in 2010 to mediate between Iran and the U.S.-led West over the former's nuclear issue, although Washington and its allies dumped his efforts in a move which shocked both Brasilia and Ankara. Top U.S. General Warns of Iran War Fallout TEHRAN (Press TV) -- Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey has said that military conflict with Iran would be “premature” and have deeply destabilizing effects on world security and economy. "A conflict with Iran would be really destabilizing, and I'm not just talking from the security perspective. It would be economically destabilizing," General Dempsey said in an interview with the National Journal on Thursday. "I just think that it's premature to be deciding that the economic and diplomatic approach is inadequate," he further noted. The cautionary comments come a week after the U.S. military chief paid his first official visit to Occupied Palestine to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, war minister Ehud Barak, president Shimon Peres, and military chief of staff Benny Gantz. Pointing to the differences of opinion between Washington and Tel Aviv over Iran's nuclear program, Dempsey noted that the allies see Iran's nuclear program differently. "My intervention with them was not to try to persuade them to my thinking or allow them to persuade me to theirs, but rather to acknowledge the complexity and commit to seeking creative solutions, not simple solutions,” he added. U.S. President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top officials have warned Zionist leaders about the "dire consequences of a strike" to stop a Tel Aviv's possible attack against Iran.