Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said late on Monday that all officials in Iran have reached a consensus to withstand the US and its policy of sanctions, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
“If we walked away from the JCPOA with the US provocative acts, then, in addition to the US, the UN and world would also impose sanctions on us […] I favor talks and diplomacy but under current conditions, I do not accept it, as today [the] situation is not suitable for talks and our choice is resistance only”, Rouhani said, cited by the IRNA.
US-Iran tensions flared last year when Washington unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. On 8 May, Iran announced that it would partially discontinue certain of its obligations under the nuclear agreement.
In recent weeks, the US has increased its military forces in the Middle East, in what US National Security Advisor John Bolton has suggested is a clear and unmistakable message to Tehran. A US aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters, have recently been deployed to the region, according to the Pentagon.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters that there are no signs that Tehran is preparing to take actions against US interests in the Middle East, adding that any provocation by Iran will be met with “great force”.
Trump also said that he would be ready to conduct negotiations with Tehran, but only on the condition that Iranian officials make the initial offer.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said earlier that Iran does not intend to wage war with the US but will continue to resist Washington.
Source: Sputnik
