If U.S. Rejoins JCPOA , Iran Will Return to Full Compliance
IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK
TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani yesterday says that the government does not allow anyone to delay the time of ending sanctions, stressing that if the U.S. and others return to their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran will return too.
In his press conference on Monday attended by Iranian and foreign media, President Rouhani referred to the Iran Nuclear Deal or JCPOA, saying: “Government is very hopeful that it will take good steps in the area of removal of sanctions because everyone knows that Trump’s economic war has failed.”
“The whole world is pressuring the United States that JCPOA must be resumed. One of the Twelfth Government services was that the government did not allow JCPOA to be destroyed with all its might,” the president said.
“Trump’s main goal was to destroy JCPOA, which was unsuccessful, Rouhani said, adding that “of course some people inside the country wanted to destroy JCPOA as well. We tried to keep JCPOA alive so that this agreement is able once again to play its role in due time.”
Noting that JCPOA was a historic agreement in Iran and the region, President Rouhani added: “There may be flaws in this agreement, but in relative terms, it has been a very historic agreement in Iran and the region. Some people wanted to destroy JCPOA, but we kept this agreement because one of our goals is to achieve our nuclear rights.”
Referring to the U.S.’ illegal sanctions against Iran, Rouhani said: “The end of the sanctions means that the people have achieved their rights. The end of US sanctions means that economic terrorism has stopped, and the criminal has stopped his crime. The government does not allow anyone to delay the time of ending sanctions. Sanctions must end, and this is the right of our people. America must return to its commitments, and if everyone returns to their commitments, we will return to our full commitments, too.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, in response to a question from Al Jazeera News Network about the lifting of sanctions and the possibility of his meeting with US-President Elect Joe Biden bilaterally or in the form of a P5 +1, President Hassan Rouhani said the government was doing its best to lift the oppressive sanctions as soon as possible. “We will do our best to lift these sanctions even an hour earlier.”
“Whenever other parties fulfill all their obligations, we also fulfill our obligations, and there is no obstacle in returning to our obligations,” Rouhani highlighted.
Rouhani noted: “If the United States returns to the nuclear deal and makes up for past mistakes, and Biden returns to the conditions of 2017, we will fully return to our commitments.”
President Rouhani also reiterated that “Economic terrorism has come to a halt. That is, the crime has stopped.”
One significant objective of the government is to break the sanctions, he said, stressing that the government is extremely optimistic about its initiatives in this regard as Trump’s economic war has failed and the whole world has admitted that.
With regard to the upcoming elections in Iran, Rouhani described it a great measure to happen next year (according to the Persian calendar).
He expressed the hope that Iran would witness a magnificent election with the participation of all political parties and groups along with very good competition.
He explained that the country is facing a very hard time now because of the economic war waged against the nation as well as the difficult days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rouhani Also underlined that one of the highest economic growth rates in Iran occurred in 2016 when the country recorded the highest boom in the world and “during these seven years Iranian government fulfilled its promises to the people in many areas.”
He referred to these promises as “moderation, constructive engagement with the global states, lifting imposed sanctions and bringing people to their own rights as well as establishing the nuclear right as a legal right for Iranians.”
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, many critical projects were inaugurated and some important projects to be started in the coming months, he said.
The President noted that Iran is one of the countries continuously informing the Iranians on the pandemic although all global states have not been open with their people.
President Rouhani stated that Israel’s goal in the assassination of Martyr Fakhrizadeh was to create a war at the last days of the Trump administration, stressing that Iran would avenge the top Iranian nuclear scientist’s blood in a proper time.
Referring to the tensions in the region after the assassination of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, saying: “The assassination of Fakhrizadeh was the plan of Israel and its main goal in this assassination was to create instability and war in the last days of the Trump infamous administration,” he added.
He said the Islamic Republic of Iran will avenge Fakhrizadeh’s blood in a proper time.
Rouhani said that the Hormoz peace initiative is still on the table, and Iran is ready to negotiate it.
Referring to the Hormoz peace initiative, he said: “The stability of the region is very important for us. You know that we have given the Hormoz peace initiative for the Persian Gulf region. The Hormoz peace initiative was presented to the UN General Assembly. This peace initiative is still on the table, and we are ready to negotiate it.”
He referred to Iran-China cooperation in the region, saying: “Both issues are important. You know that the reason why the US President Donald Trump failed against Iran in the international community was because of Iran’s cooperation and coordination with other countries, so in every issue that Trump went to the UN General Assembly, he could not approve anything, so we continue to have close relations with all countries of the world, especially with China, Russia, the European Union, and our neighbors.”
