At the beginning of the press conference with managers and editor-in-chiefs of American media in New York on Tuesday, President Rouhani asked a series of rhetorical questions concerning the years following 2001 and the start of the new century; “has the situation of countries like Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain improved during this 17-year period? Compared to the early 21st century, has terrorism exacerbated the region’s conditions? Which has become more powerful, the people or the terrorists?”
Regarding Iran and US relations, he asked “within the past 40 years, how has the relations between Iran and US changed? Do the two nations enjoy productive relations or are they further distant from each other? Are we really in the right path or have we made errors? Today, our biggest mission is to better understand the nations and the world’s state of affairs. We have to analyze our past decisions, recognize their flaws so that we can compensate for them.”
The managers and senior reporters of American broadcasts voiced their questions on several topics including Trump’s stance on JCPOA, Iran’s policies on the war in Yemen, Saudi’s stance and Iran's missile program and Tehran’s current relations with some countries.
On the subject of JCPOA, Rouhani said “the nuclear deal is an international agreement which has been achieved after years of efforts by diplomats of seven countries and eventually was adopted by the United Nations Security Council as the 2231 resolution.”
According to the President, JCPOA is distinct from all the similar topics which are mentioned by the press. "First, it concerns Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty; second, it is an agreement reached by seven countries and third, it is the outcome of so much work and effort accomplished by the support of many countries. This agreement has been adopted in UNSC by the majority vote; more importantly, it is the groundwork upon which positive interactions between Iran and the regional states, European Union and other countries have taken place."
As stated by the president, the IAEA has confirmed that Iran has adhered to the agreement, adding "if the US government violates this commitment, they will we be at a disadvantage and will lose the trust of the world."
“Concerning JCPOA, Iran will be victorious, regardless of what happens. If the US backs out of the deal, they will suffer loss and if they remain committed, they will sow benefits. We are ready for any situation and there is no obstacle to our advance toward our objectives,” Rouhani added.
In response to US officials’ claims that Iran’s defensive military disrupts the balance of the region, Rouhani asked, "which one is more disruptive? Iran’s missile defense systems or the abundance of arms sales to the region?” Rouhani voiced his disapproval of the US sales of weapons, saying this will bring about no positive outcomes for the region.
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