TEHRAN – Presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi has said the Rouhani administration will strive until its last days so that the sanctions on Iran will be lifted.

“It’s true that we have one year left, but if we can, even if we have three or days left, we will strive to lift the sanctions so that the next government will be able to start its work without sanctions,” Vaezi said, Mehr reported on Tuesday.

He further said the Rouhani administration’s efforts is not limited to its own interests, adding that the sanctions have created troubles for the whole establishment and people.

“A country that has banned medicine or foodstuff is not concerned about people or human rights,” Vaezi argued.

U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions in history on Iran as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran.

Iran waited a year until it began to partially reduce its commitments to the agreement at bi-monthly intervals. Finally, on January 5 of this year, Iran issued a statement announcing suspension of all limits under the JCPOA. 

Observers say Trump’s maximum pressure policy has failed.

From the very beginning that Iran started to remove ban on its nuclear program, officials in Tehran announced if the Europeans, especially its big trio (Germany, France, and Britain which are signatory the deal), take steps to compensate the sanctions' effect it will immediately reverse its decision.

In his remarks, Vaezi said the Rouhani administration has plans for the post-sanctions era.

“I hope the sanctions would be lifted and I hope our nation can move forward without sanctions,” he added.

MH/PA