Iran’s President Says US JCPOA Withdrawal Ruined Bridges
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed the idea of talks with the US, saying Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has further destroyed a bridge between the two countries that was starting to be rebuilt.
In an address to a gathering of American foreign policy elites in New York on Tuesday, Rouhani said the US should have honored its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in order to pave the way for possible talks on other issues.
He said the US administration’s move to pull out of the nuclear deal without any reason and logic means that Washington has ruined an already damaged bridge that existed between the two countries for years and was beginning to be reconstructed.
Referring to his government’s policies after taking the office, Rouhani said, “We have worked based on constructive interaction with the world. Of course, this interaction was more complex towards countries that had a long history of distrust.”
“Trust at the international level is always a relative issue and one can never achieve 100 percent trust, but we can establish dialogue between two countries with relative trust,” the president’s official website quoted him as saying.
“Despite a lot of issues, we could reach an agreement in 2015 after negotiations, which was amazing for many,” he added.
Describing the JCPOA as a great historic test for everyone, Rouhani said, “Based on the 12 reports by the IAEA, Iran has fully and completely lived up to its commitments, while the other sides, either America or the other countries, did not adhere completely to their commitments under the deal.”
Rouhani also said, “America is an important country in the world and Iran is an effective country in the critical Middle East region, and we could take good steps in creating trust and communication.”
“Today, some American officials are clearly stating that putting pressure on Iran is aimed at toppling the Iranian government, and this means that they are aimed at completely destroying the relative trust that was previously built,” Rouhani added.
“America’s experience in countries of the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Iraq showed that a result cannot be reached with force. In relation to Iran, we will definitely withstand all of these problems despite all economic issues,” he stated.
“The actions of US government is never in favor of public confidence and international peace and stability… The Islamic Republic of Iran has exercised a lot of patience in face of the United States’ unlawful actions, which shows the greatness of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic,” he added.
As regards Iran’s policy on Syria, Rouhani said, “Iran’s presence in Syria is based on the invitation of the government of the country to fight terrorism. We are the victim of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. This is why when the governments of Syria and Iraq called for help in the fight against terrorism, we went there without hesitation.”
In response to a question regarding the future of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Rouhani said, “Saudi Arabia and its security are important for Iran, because tens of thousands of Iranians annually travel to Saudi Arabia to attend the pilgrimage ceremony, and Saudi Arabia is significant as a religious center for Muslims. In addition, the country is a neighbor of Iran.”
“Saudi Arabia may have complaints from Iran because of its failures in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, but the Islamic Republic of Iran considers resolution of the problems in favor of the region and the world and is always interested in developing relations with its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia,” the Iranian president concluded.
