Hassan Mansour, an economist, said about the reaction of officials of the Islamic Republic to the intensification of U.S. economic pressure: «Contrary to officials of the Islamic Republic who try to downplay concerns, the market and the people are properly worried about the economic consequences of these pressures. Iran needs foreign exchange, especially dollars, to import goods, and if, due to restrictions on the sale of oil, the country’s income sources decline, obtaining foreign exchange to buy goods will also face problems. Under current conditions, it is these sanctions and the economic pressures of the United States that determine fluctuations in the exchange rate in Iran’s market more than the policies of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic; therefore, people’s concern about the economic future is completely understandable.»