“We are witnessing an all-out economic war. The war imposed on us during the past three years is far worse than the eight-year imposed war [against Iraqi Saddam regime]. This was an economic war and no one in the world expected Iran to demonstrate such a good resistance,” Rouhani said while addressing the inauguration of several projects in Eastern provinces through video-conference on Thursday.
“Many world leaders ask me during our contacts that ‘how could you resist in this war?’” he continued, adding that of course the Iranian people are under economic pressure but the country’s gas, water, and electricity supply was not cut and that Iran did not need to import fuel, rather, the country turned into a fuel exporter.
After withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, the Trump Administration imposed severe sanctions against Tehran in what Washington described as ‘Maximum Pressure Policy’ to force Iran into a new deal. However, Tehran has ruled out the possibility of re-negotiation over the JCPOA, saying it will continue ‘maximum resistance’ in the face of US’ ‘bullying’ behavior.
Tehran has also reduced its commitments to the JCPOA in a reversible manner, urging other parties to the deal to safeguard the country’s economic interests under the deal.
Recently, the Iranian Parliament passed a ‘strategic’ action plan that mandates the government and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to boost the country’s nuclear industry, announcing deadlines for other signatories of the JCPOA to implement their commitments.
The government, however, has expressed opposition to the new law, describing it as detrimental to the country’s diplomacy.
“Let those who have over 20 years of experience, know what they are doing, have been successful in diplomacy, and defeated America many times in the past three years in UN do their work,” Rouhani said on Thursday.
“Let us pursue our work with care. We ask you to help us. We are all brothers and have a shared goal,” he said, calling for increased collaboration between different branches.
MAH/ 5086835
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