MNA � Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that it is �very painful� for enemies to see that Iran has managed to inaugurate major national projects despite harshest sanctions.

He made the remarks Monday in a ceremony held to launch the third phase of Persian Gulf Star Refinery in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan province.

�It is very painful for enemies to see that we are inaugurating three major and great national projects in one province during 24 hours despite sanctions against the Iranian nation which they [enemies] claim to be the harshest of its kind.�

Rouhani was referring to two refinery projects in Bandar Abbas which were inaugurated today and also to the joining of Fateh submarine to Navy�s fleet on Sunday.

�The Americans, Zionists and our enemies began their measures [against Iran] from last January, thinking that till January of this year everything would be over and that the Islamic Republic would not be able to celebrate its 40th anniversary,� he added.