Despite new Western claims to the contrary, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday declared during a military parade that limited economic sanctions against his country had failed to have the desired effect.
Western powers acting via the UN Security Council have imposed several rounds of limited sanctions against Iran over the past two years in hopes of convincing Tehran to end its quest for nuclear weapons.
But opposition from Russia and China and an unwillingness by many European power to alienate their Iranian trading partners have left the sanctions all but toothless, to the great frustration of American officials.
According to Ahmadinejad, the sanctions have failed to halt Iran's nuclear program, failed to significantly impact the Iranian economy and have left the Iranian military fully capable of repelling and violently responding to any military intervention.
The only thing the sanctions seem to have produced is increased Iranian will to defy the international community.