Iran to Emerge Victorious from Sanctions: President Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated the country’s policy to resist economic pressures and expressed confidence that the Iranian people will successfully pass through the current difficult conditions caused by US sanctions.
In a speech in the northeastern province of North Khorasan on Monday, Rouhani pointed to Iran’s stance on the 2015 nuclear deal following the US withdrawal from the international accord and said Tehran has given a deadline to the remaining parties to the deal (Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany).
Iran’s strategy has changed since May 8 from “strategic patience” to reciprocal measures, the president said.
If the other parties return and meet their obligations, Iran will return as well; if they fail to meet their obligations, so will Iran and if they fully implement the deal, Iran will do the same, he added.
“Our path is the right path and we continue this path,” Rouhani said, adding that the Iranian people have come to the conclusion that they should not be patient in the face of bullies.
“Definitely, in our new situation, we will emerge victorious and our enemies will fail; the future is very bright,” he went on to say.
The remarks came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held a special meeting on Wednesday at Washington’s request to win the Board of Governors’ support for its anti-Iran claims about the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The emergency meeting of the 35-member Board of Governors of the IAEA was held in Vienna to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, which wrapped up with no conclusion.
The meeting came a few days after Iran increased the level of its uranium enrichment to 4.5%, which is beyond the limit set by the JCPOA. The move was part of the second phase of the country’s May 8 decision to reduce its commitments under the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal in reaction to the US violations and Europe’s inaction.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA.
Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the JCPOA after the US withdrawal, but the three EU parties to the deal (France, Britain, and Germany) have failed to ensure Iran’s economic interests.
The EU’s inaction forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments to the nuclear deal, including a rise in the stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran maintains that the new measures are not designed to harm the JCPOA but to save the accord by creating a balance in the commitments.
