The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani has unveiled a budget which he described as "resistance to sanctions" slapped on his country by the United States of America.
President Rouhani presented the draft budget to the Iranian Parliament, saying that it was aimed at making the country less dependent on oil exports.
“This is a budget to resist sanctions … with the least possible dependence on oil,” Hassan Rouhani told Parliament. “This budget announces to the world that despite sanctions we can manage the country,” he added.
He said that the budget was aimed at reducing the hardship being endured by the Iranian people.
The presentation of the draft budget comes amid rising inflation made worse by a plummeting currency according to Aljazeera.
President Donald Trump's administration has pursued a maximum pressure policy against Iran in a bid to force the Islamic country to agree to go back to negotiations and revise the nuclear deal.
Iran has maintained that it will not agree to an arrangement that rips the nuclear deal it signed with world powers.
Under the deal supported by former US President Barack Obama, Iran was given relief from biting economic sanctions.
According to CNA, Rouhani announced a 15 % increase in public sector wages.