Iran will spare no effort to safeguard its national interests: FM spokesman

The U.S. military aggression and its "economic war" against Iran constitute a blatant violation of Iran's national sovereignty and international laws, and Iran will spare no effort to protect its national interests, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday.

Baghaei made the remarks when addressing several pressing issues, including Iran-U.S. relations and regional developments at a weekly press conference in Tehran, Iran's capital.

"As long as such [U.S.] action continues -- specifically the continued 'economic war' and naval blockade against Iran, it will be deemed an extension of U.S. military aggression. This, in turn, entitles Iran to take necessary measures in self-defense, both legally and operationally. Therefore, Iran's actions are purely defensive in nature, serving as a direct response to the relentless military aggression carried out by the U.S. and Israel," Baghaei said.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 1.09 percent lower at 1,880.10 points on Tuesday.

The STAR 50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest stocks listed on the board that also meet certain liquidity requirements, closed 1.52 percent lower at 1,591.00 points.

The sci-tech innovation board, commonly known as the STAR Market, was inaugurated in June 2019 at Shanghai Stock Exchange. It is designed to support companies in the high-tech and strategic emerging sectors.