Iranians told 'cut back to beat sanctions'

Iranians have been urged to cut back on household consumption to reduce the impact of economic sanctions imposed over the country’s nuclear activities.

Interior Minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi said the country’s ‘culture of consumption’ needed to change and called on young people to help reduce household consumption expenditure by 10%, according to news agency AFP.

"The sanctions I am sure will not affect and harm the Iranian people. But we should do everything to ensure our progress is not stopped” he said.

Energy consumption is a serious issue in the country, where gas shortages have in the past been caused by excess demand.

Schoolchildren and students chanted ‘Death to America’ at the speech, which marked the 28th anniversary of the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.

According to Pour Mohammadi, petrol rationing this year had reduced consumption by 25% and should be seen as an example of what could be achieved.

"I assure you that God willing the deceitful plots hatched by the enemy will be futile and the process of development will not be disrupted," the minister added.

Six world powers agreed in London on Friday to push towards a third round of UN sanctions unless Tehran addressed concerns about its nuclear programme.

Iran has refused to halt uranium enrichment after two previous UN sanctions resolutions and denies it wants to make atomic bombs, saying its programme is for power generation.

Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China will meet again on November 19 to assess reports from Mohamed ElBaradei, head of UN atomic watchdog the IAEA.

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