“Trump made a big mistake”: President Rouhani

"On May 8, 2018, under pressures of extremists in America, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and for Trump’s opposition to the ex-US president, Americans adopted a very stupid measure and withdrew from the JCPOA. They were thinking that Iran would instantly withdraw from the deal and the case would be referred to the UN Security Council and all achievements of the deal would be jeopardized in a night but Trump’s dream didn’t come true," Rouhani said while addressing a cabinet session on Wednesday.

"In these two years [after withdrawing from the deal] America has not been successful in any of its approaches. They tried to convince Europeans to join them, tried to formulate a new deal, tried to hold a meeting in the United Nations with Trump in participation but all in vain. Today, the US is feeling that Iran will achieve success in the coming months according to the JCPOA and UNSC Resolution 2231 and Iran’s arms embargo will be lifted and Iran can buy its required weapons or export them."

"It is some two months that Americans have woke up from a deep sleep and realized their big mistake in pulling out of the deal ... Same Israel, Saudi Arabia and American extremists will tell Trump that they have been wrong," he added.

“If arms embargo is extended, the response will be the one that I mentioned in letters to 4+1 leaders where I explained such a measure will have what dangerous consequences,” he stressed.

The remarks come as the US has started efforts to extend arms embargo on Iran which will end this October. Washington has announced that it will use all its tools in the United Nations Security Council to achieve its aim. However, such a resolution is believed to be vetoed by Russia and China. As a second approach, Washington will then try to argue that it is a JCPOA participant so as to trigger the snapback mechanism which will return UN sanctions against Iran. This is while US President Donald Trump ceased his country's participation in the JCPOA in May 2018 and re-imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran.

“Iran will not accept the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 because the lifting of the arms embargo is Iran’s inherent right,” Rouhani highlighted.

“A wise approach for America is to return to the JCPOA, repent, and compensate the losses but those ruling in the White House now don’t have such a wisdom.”

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