Government spokesman plays down effects of oil price fall on Iran's economy

 Iranian Government Spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht underlined that the country is ready to defuse the possible impacts of the fall in crude prices over the Iranian economy, ensuring that the government can manage the country even with lower oil revenues.
"The oil market is a completely political and fluctuating market and the pressure exerted on us falls on those Arab states which increase production and give special discounts to lower the oil prices too, and they will also sustain losses as well," Nobakht told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday.
"They think that they can pressure Iran by continuing such conditions, but just the same way that we are now acting exactly on the basis of the budget planning despite the decreased (oil) prices in the current year, we will move on the same course in future as well," he added.
In relevant remarks on Saturday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned that the decrease in oil prices in recent months is the result of a plot hatched by certain countries.
The fall of oil prices is a manufactured and political plot, he said.
"The reduction in crude oil prices is not an economic issue, rather a political plot and planning by certain countries," Shamkhani added.
President Hassan Rouhani also stated on Wednesday that the sudden decrease in oil prices in recent months is a plot hatched by the enemies against the regional people and Muslims.
"The fall of crude prices is not merely an economic issue, rather it is the result of certain states' political plot and planning," Rouhani said, addressing a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
"The decrease in oil price is a plot against the regional people and Muslims which merely serves the interests of some other countries," he added.
Stressing that the regional people would not forget these plots and betrayals against the Muslim world, Rouhani said, "Certainly, people will react to such schemes and the countries which have hatched this plot should know that they have just increased the Muslim world's hatred for themselves."