Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Shamseddin Hosseini said the announcement of a date for imposing a new round of oil sanctions on Tehran is aimed at creating a psychological atmosphere, the Press TV reported on Sunday.

Hosseini said that sanctions against Iran have actually started a long time ago and the West is conducting a psychological operation by setting new deadlines.

"Westerners set unreal deadlines as the time to toughen sanctions in order to create a psychological atmosphere in the country," Hosseini said referring to the European Union (EU) oil embargo on the country which is scheduled to take effect from Sunday.

Specific dates have been determined to impose new sanctions with the purpose of exerting more pressure on Iran, Hosseini was quoted as saying.