Iran Must Alter Strategy To Counter Sanctions: Ahmadinejad

Iran must fundamentally tailor its economy to overcome Western sanctions since Tehran 's current approach is a losing strategy, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday.

"Continuation of the current trend of defending against West's (economic) offensive ... is damaging," Ahmadinejad said in a speech before the parliament.

"He who attacks will always end up winning and one that has to defend always ends up losing something."

His remarks come as Iranian officials have for months called on the government to establish a front against what they say is an "economic war" targeting Iran's vital oil income and access to global financial systems.

Iran "must make a fundamental transformation of its economy to use its national capacity to circumvent the sanctions," Ahmadinejad said.

He explained that one of the main solutions would be to "ultimately decide to once and for all cut the government's dependence on oil revenues," warning that it would create "pressure as the result."

Iran lost a substantial part of its oil revenues in 2012 due to sanctions imposed over its disputed nuclear program, Iranian officials have said.

Estimated at around $5 billion per month according to experts, the loss in oil revenues has led to a contraction of the 2013/2014 budget being prepared by the government, according to some MPs.

The sanctions have also had a role in the collapse of the Iranian currency and thus soaring prices, exerting "pressure on a large part of the people," Ahmadinejad said.

He also defended plans to go ahead with implementing his much touted scheme of cutting subsidies on food and energy and pay stipends to the population, which began in 2010.

"One of the best solutions to ensure stable economic growth and to circumvent sanctions is the subsidy cut plan," Ahmadinejad said of the scheme which has garnered criticism at home for alleged hike in inflation.

The second phase of the plan is being blocked by the parliament.