TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Iranians will not surrender to those who have started economic war on the country.

“We will not raise our hands [for surrender] to those who have imposed economic war on us. We will fulfil our national duty and continue our path,” he told thousands of well-wishers in Khoy, West Azerbaijan Province.

He noted that the enemies have started economic and psychological war against Iran.

“They think we will surrender under the pressure. Our great people should know that we have been committed to our obligations under the agreements. We have been committed based on the Islamic culture. We did not initiate the economic war. They have done this [economic war] because of defeats in the region,” the president remarked.

Rouhani was openly referring to Iran’s commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal according to which Iran accepted to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.

The deal went into effect in January 2016. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked to monitor Iran’s adherence to the nuclear agreement, has issued 13 reports each time confirming Iran’s commitment to the agreement.

Rouhani: Iran will sell its oil

Elsewhere, Rouhani said that Iran will sell its oil and will also strengthen relations its neighbors.

“The U.S. is not able to weaken the Iranians’ relations with Iraq and Turkey. We are all Muslims and stand beside each other,” he added.

He also said that the whole world, except for two or three countries, are against the U.S. “cruel pressure” against Iranians.

“Even the Europeans, who are dependent on the U.S. in security and economy, has stood against the U.S. and condemned the White House. All our neighbors, except for one or two, have condemned the U.S. This is the first time in the history of the U.S. that the whole world has stood against this country. This country is now isolated and alone,” he said.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal and ordered sanctions on Iran. The first round of sanctions went into force on August 6 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were announced on November 4.

Writing an article in The Guardian on Friday, Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Tehran, said Trump’s “economic war on Iran is doomed to failure”.

He said, “With demand for Iranian oil holding firm and no international support for sanctions, the U.S. harsh approach has no future.”

NA/PA