The West has imposed sanctions against Iran in a bid to create division between Iranians and the government, and to halt Tehran’s nuclear energy program, Kazem Gharib Abadi told the Nedelands Dagblad daily. He said that the sanctions have, however, failed to undermine Iran’s nuclear energy program as it relies on indigenous expertise and does not depend on foreign assistance. Iran has been under sanctions, mostly imposed by the US, for the past 30 years, but it has made remarkable progress and will continue to make headway, the envoy added. Gharib Abadi also pointed out that the Iranians’ high turnout in the recent parliamentary elections also indicated the nation’s support for the Islamic Republic and its policies, and thwarted the sanction efforts by the West that sought to drive a wedge between people and the government. The Iranian diplomat further noted that the sanctions against Iran, especially the oil embargos, will be harmful to the Western countries as the global economic conditions get worse. The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran rejects such allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.