TEHRAN (Iran News) – President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday America’s “maximum pressure” campaign has failed and that the US has accepted its failure.   

“Enemies of the Iranian people may not admit it, but have accepted that the strategy of maximum pressure has failed and must put aside such an approach against the Iranian nation,” Rouhani said in a meeting with the staff of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry.

Rouhani said the Iranian nation “made a great sacrifice” in the face of US sanctions and managed to offset “the ill-wishers’ maximum pressure”.

He said all governmental entities, braches of power, and the armed forces acted with great coordination and effort since the US withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran last year in May and reimposed tough sanctions on the Islamic Republic that were lifted under the agreement.

“This path must continue to the point where enemies are completely disappointed with their maximum pressure,” the president said.

“The Iranian nation has shown that it is vigilant and well aware of the root causes of pressures and difficulties,” he said.

In return, the authorities could thank the nation by working to safeguard Iran, its Islamic establishment and the country’s national interests and by offering efficient services to people, he added.

Rouhani said Iran’s major economic indicators have improved in recent months despite America’s “unprecedented hostility”.

“Despite the unprecedented difficulties and hostilities towards the Iranian nation, there has been a rise in major economic indexes in recent months,” Rouhani said.

He also hailed the Intelligence Ministry for its “prominent role” in maintaining safety and security for investment and businesses.

Tension has risen between longtime foes Tehran and Washington since last year when US President Donald Trump quit the 2015 nuclear pact.

The US, as part of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, has been seeking to cripple Iran’s economy through what Washington refers to as “toughest ever” sanctions.

The campaign, which began in May 2018 after Trump abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has witnessed several rounds of sanctions that specifically targeted Tehran’s oil exports and sought, unsuccessfully, to bring them to zero.

In retaliation for the US “maximum pressure” policy, Iran has gradually reduced its commitments to the pact and plans to go further if the European parties to the deal fail to keep their promises to shield Iran’s economy from US sanctions.