Iran said on Saturday it had many options to neutralize the re-imposition of US sanctions on its oil exports, adding that Tehran’s regional influence could not be curbed as demanded by Washington. “Apart from closing Strait of Hormuz, we have other options to stop oil flow if threatened,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani as saying. “Iran has plans in place that will neutralize the illegal US sanctions against Iran’s oil exports.” “We have many ways to sell our oil,” asserted Shamkhani. Tehran wants to strengthen its trade relations with Iraq, Turkey, and Russia as outlets for its economy amid rising tensions with the United States after US President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers last May, and then reimposed sanctions on Iran. The restoration of sanctions is part of a wider effort by Trump to force Iran to further curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as its support for proxy forces in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East. In turn, Iranian officials threatened to disrupt oil shipments from the Gulf countries if Washington tries to strangle Tehran’s oil exports. On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Moscow will continue all-out cooperation with Iran, including in the area of nuclear energy, despite all the pressures from the United States. Zakharova warned that US efforts to “scare” Moscow regarding trade were unacceptable, “we think such actions are unacceptable and deeply concerning.” “Attempts to pressure and threaten Russian business... are a follow-up on the dishonorable anti-Iranian cause by the US administration,” the spokeswoman said. Moscow often supports Tehrans positions in its disputes with the United States, and Turkey has also pledged that it will not adhere to the US sanctions on Iran. Tehran considers working with Iraq, Turkey, and Russia as the key to helping it overcome US sanctions and keeping its faltering economy afloat. Iran is trying to show itself as a contributor to regional stability. Each day, about one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz which links Middle East crude producers to key markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and beyond. The Secretary indicated there are multiple ways to make that blockage of Hormuz happen, however, he hoped Iran would not be forced to use that. “Iran is capable of confronting any military threat ... Trump and Israel are well aware of Iran’s military might,” Shamkhani said. “They know that they cannot enter a war with Iran. That is why they publicly threaten Iran.”