IRNA - Former Russian presidential candidate Sergey Baburin says the US is only wasting its time by pressuring Iran as a means to take advantage of the country

�Iran is a powerful country that hasn�t succumbed to pressurs to pay ransom to the US and its allies,� Sergey Baburin, a Russian politician who had stood for president in last year�s presidential elections told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Saturday.

�Tehran has been able to defend its independent positions, relying on its own people as well as its internal power. Washington�s hope to take an advantage from Iran through sanctions is futile,� Baburin said.

Baburin, who is also president of the nationalist party Russia�s All-People�s Union, said non-dollar trade between his country and Iran can provide good opportunities for bilateral commerce.

The Russian official criticized the US support for terrorist groups as a �means to push forward its own objectives', stressing that the country's �calculations in the Middle East have proved false'.