TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (MNA) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated the stance of Tehran on which side should take the first step of returning to the nuclear deal.

“The day we witness 5+1 fulfills its commitments, we will be ready to adhere to our commitments under the JCPOA and there are no other paths for people and the region,” he said. Surely, he continued, the world will choose the path of dialogue with Iran, and “We will be victorious in this path.”

He made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing the nationwide rallies on the occasion of the 42nd Islamic Revolution victory.

Washington pulled out the UN-endorsed JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed severe sanctions on Iran's economy through a policy dubbed 'maximum pressure' to force Tehran into a 'better' deal. After a year of patience, Iran started to reduce commitments to the deal according to the text of the JCPOA and to create a balance, asking other parties to shield its economy from unilateral US sanctions. Tehran says all its nuclear measures are reversible as soon as other parties fulfill their part of the commitments under the deal, one of which is normalizing trade and banking ties with the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the new US administration has made contradictory remarks over returning to the deal. Some American officials have set conditions such as negotiating on Iran’s missile program while some reports indicate that Washington intends to return to the deal without lifting sanctions.  

“If the great nation of Iran had not stood against this tyrant of the White House and had not defeated him with patience and resistance, and if it was not for the people's elected government, we might have pulled out the deal after Trump which would be an effortless and costless victory for Trump,” Rouhani said elsewhere. 

In case of our withdrawal from the deal, all sanctions would have been returned against Iran and Israeli-American plots could have been realized, added the President.

However, the resistance of the people ‘crushed’ Trump in the past three years, he said, also pointing to the US’s isolation in the UN against Iran on several occasions.

"Wherever we were together and worked together, God gave us victory and as we won the eight-year imposed war, we will win the three-year economic war," his official press service quoted him as saying. 

"The one who overthrew Trump was God and the wise American nation, but without a doubt, the Iranian nation and government played an effective role in overthrowing this dictator".

The President added, "All the people of the world owe a great debt to the Iranian nation. If the Iranian nation had not stood up to the tyrant of the White House and had not defeated him, and if it had not been for the tact of the elected government of the people after he left the JCPOA, Trump would have won without any effort or expense."

Rouhani also expressed the importance of negotiation to achieve the interests of the nation and said, "Negotiation is one of the tools of a government and modern governance in today's world, which is the legacy of the great Prophet of Islam (PBUH)".

"We are proud that we negotiated and made a pact with our enemies as the way that the Prophet (PBUH) and Imam Hassan (AS) have taught us."

Referring to the numerous failures of the United States in the UN Security Council against Iran and calling these failures unique in the international arena, the President said, "The Americans have failed several times in The Hague against the Iranian nation and lawyers, one of which was a few days ago and the court in The Hague ruled against Trump".

Rouhani continued to talk about sanctions, coronavirus, psychological pressure and psychological warfare and military threats as four factors that have threatened the Iranian people in the past year, adding, "The Iranian people stood firm and today, thank God, are in better conditions than last year."

The President also referred to the start of the COVID-19 vaccination project in the country yesterday and said, "The highest-ranking official of the country's health introduced his son to receive the first vaccine to break the false words and prove that if negotiations are held and a deal is reached, it is in the national interest".

In another part of his speech, Rouhani said that the era of maximum sanctions and economic war is over, saying, "Today, everyone understands that maximum pressure has failed and I bow before the people because of their resistance and conscious mind against outsider media."

Rouhani stated that the last days of this government will continue with the biggest plans and projects, and said, "This government is trying its best so that we see glorious elections next year".

The President added, "Dear people should know that if it were not for foreign conspiracies and hostility of the Zionists, American extremists and reactionaries in the region, and the imposed economic war against the Iranian people, we would be in a much better situation today and achieved all our dreams."

Referring to Iran's capabilities and military power today, the President stated, "We are the greatest military, defence and missile power today, but all this power must be in the shadow of the main power, which is social capital and the trust of the people."

MAH/IRN 84224945