National unity can help reduce the price that Iran is paying for resisting the United States' "unprecedented" pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday, criticizing "politically motivated" attempts to undermine the administration as an act of "betrayal".
"We can emerge victorious from this war, but we have to reduce the cost of the war. Disunity and discord increase the cost of the war," he said in a meeting with media representatives in Tehran, his website reported.
Tensions have escalated between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, as the US has intensified sanctions with what it says is the goal of pushing Iran to make concessions beyond the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal.
US President Donald Trump a year ago withdrew from the agreement between Iran and global powers officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return.
Trump restored US sanctions on Iran last year and extended them recently, ordering all countries to halt imports of Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own. It has also beefed up the US Navy and Air Force presence in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has repeatedly rejected any further negotiations, as long as the United States remains outside the nuclear pact.
"The country is paying a price for this war, but we will definitely be the ultimate winner," Rouhani said, adding that "trust" and "consensus of views" among the country's political factions is key to victory.
Betrayal of Nation
The president lamented attempts to undermine people's trust in the administration for "politically motivated reasons".
"Some assume that if people's trust in the administration is eroded, its supporters will not be able to win seats in parliament in the upcoming elections or that they will be able to win the next presidential elections, which will be held in two years' time, by exerting pressure on the administration and trivializing its efforts," the president said, calling it a "great betrayal" of the nation.
He acknowledged the shortcomings of his administration and said no government can claim to be "perfect".
However, he said his Cabinet's accomplishments should also be highlighted by the media to help inject hope into society and foil the enemy's propaganda campaign.
Rouhani said one of the biggest achievements of his administration is that it has continued to honor the nuclear agreement after the US withdrawal and did not let the world accuse the Islamic Republic of a breach of promise.
"The administration put its reputation on the line and prevented the collapse of JCPOA," he said, adding that the decision helped turn the tables in Iran's favor.
Now almost all countries and international organizations are pointing the finger of blame at the United States and this is a "source of pride" for Iran, he declared.
