Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that talks this week at the United Nations showed his counterpart Donald Trump’s isolation, expecting that the US would eventually rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal.
“The United States of America one day, sooner or later, will come back. This cannot be continued,” Rouhani told a news conference, according to AFP.
“We are not isolated; America is isolated,” he insisted.
Rouhani pointed to a session of the Security Council chaired by Trump earlier Wednesday, where the leaders of Britain and France backed the nuclear deal, as well as a statement by European powers who say they will find ways to continue business with Iran and evade impending sanctions.
“We do hope with all the law-abiding and multilateral-oriented countries that we can ultimately put this behind us in an easier fashion than it was earlier anticipated,” Rouhani said.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran deal in May. Recently, the President signed an executive order officially reinstating US sanctions against Iran.
The European signatories to the deal did not agree with Trump’s decision to leave the deal and have been trying to save the accord, which they see as crucial to forestalling an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Rouhani said on Wednesday that his government would stay in the 2015 agreement, under which Tehran sharply scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
“Until such time that we keep reaping the benefits of that agreement for our nation and people, we shall remain in the agreement,” he added.
“Should the situation change, we have other paths and other solutions that we can embark upon,” continued Rouhani.
Rouhani meanwhile, downplayed the sharp words from the US administration, including a warning Tuesday by Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, that Iran would have “hell to pay” if it crosses the United States.
“During the past 40 years we have been subjected to that type of language many times,” he said, adding, “In this American administration, unfortunately, the language has been said to be somewhat unique and they speak with a different style, presumably because they are new to politics.”
Source: Agencies
