The United States has waged an economic war against the Iranian nation in revenge for the repeated defeats it has suffered in the region, President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday, pledging that the country will not yield to pressure to change its policies.
“They [the Americans] are under the impression that they have experienced setbacks in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon because of the resistance of the Iranian nation. But they are mistaken, as their defeats are the result of resistance put up by all regional nations,” he said in a speech in the city of Khoy, West Azarbaijan Province, ISNA reported.
The president inaugurated several major development projects during his visit, including a 225-bed hospital in Khoy and a railroad connecting Urmia, the capital of the northwestern province, to Maragheh in the neighboring province of East Azarbaijan.
Rouhani said Washington has been left licking its wounds after it failed to achieve its objectives in different parts of the region and that is why it has intensified economic pressure on Iran.
“But why are you wreaking vengeance on the Iranian nation? Correct your own mistakes instead,” he added, addressing US officials.
Striking a defiant tone days after Washington reimposed sanctions on Iran’s lifeline oil sector, the president said, “We will continue to sell our oil. We will forge closer ties with our neighbors, including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iraq.”
By reimposing sanctions on OPEC’s third biggest crude producer, the US wants to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile program, further curb its nuclear work and alter its regional policies.
Washington had been pushing governments to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero. But, fearing a price spike, it granted Iran’s biggest buyers—China, India, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Greece, Taiwan and Turkey—temporary sanctions waivers.
US Isolation
Rouhani said US sanctions, which were reintroduced after US President Donald Trump pulled the plug on the multilateral Iran nuclear deal, lack international support.
“Except two or three countries, all states in the world are opposed to unjust pressure imposed by the United States [on Iran]. Even Europe, which is dependent on America for its security and economic needs, has spoken against it with a united voice,” he said.
"The US is now more “isolated” than ever over anti-Iran sanctions and its psychological warfare campaign against the country is destined to fail."
The European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, which joined the United States in signing the 2015 deal that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, have been trying to find ways to circumvent the US limitations.
In particular, the EU has been trying to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle for non-dollar trade with Iran.
The president assured people that all essential goods will be made available to them despite US-imposed financial restrictions, saying that efforts are underway to bolster domestic production and increase exports.
Rouhani also renewed his promise to revive Lake Urmia that has become a national symbol of environmental degradation.
