“Further to the disaster of COVID-19, unilateralism, economic terrorism and the way they have been addressed are among the issues that have stained the features of the international community. Actions like these not only illegally and illegitimately target sovereign governments and independent nations, but are also a serious threat to the achievements of the international community. More to this, the world of Islam has fallen quarry to organized Islamophobia. This organized Islamophobia has not only targeted the sublime values of Islam, but it has also brought with it wider adverse economic and developmental consequences for Muslim countries.”

He took pride in the fact that the U.S. economic pressures on Iran ended in failure.

“I am proud to announce that the U.S. illegal and unilateral measures aimed to bring the great nation of Iran to its knees have failed and despite the strong headwind of colossal economic pressure, by relying on our own willpower and domestic might, we have managed to do great feats and make significant breakthroughs in various areas including the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts and consequences. The illuminous testament to the failure of the United States in the war it has waged on the Iranian people is that Iran, struggling with sanctions and the coronavirus combined, managed to secure an economic growth of more than 2 percent in the year when the world economy shrank by 3.5 percent and many countries experienced negative economic growth of -5 to -10 percent,” the Iranian president noted.

He added, “In the past four years, the international community has witnessed as the U.S. economic warfare against Iran has intensified. These oppressive sanctions have inflicted substantial damage on our country. The nuclear deal, which the U.S. violated and maximally tried to obliterate, has been preserved owing to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s tactfulness. The U.S. must return to the JCPOA, first, by lifting the sanctions and adopting practical arrangements; for that is the obligation of the same government that has reneged on the promise. The Islamic Republic of Iran will but respond to U.S. action by positive action.”

Rouhani also reaffirmed the will of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the country’s public and private sectors to deepen cooperation within the framework of the D-8.

He reiterated Iran’s willingness to strengthen multilateralism as one of Iran’s top priorities.

“Strengthening multilateralism is one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s top foreign policy priorities. From the standpoint of economic development, too, we have invariably supported the developing and attuned countries’ collective strive for a fair and non-discriminatory international economic system. The ultimate goal of all these collective and legitimate efforts by developing countries is to attain economic growth, balanced development, public welfare and prosperity, and to preserve national values and cultures and secure a decent status in international relations,” Rouhani pointed out, adding that “it is by way of this very approach, that we have become an active member of international and regional groupings such as the Group of 77 (G77), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Cooperation Mechanism of the Caspian Littoral States, and, of course, the D-8. From the vantagepoint of convergence and business interaction, we are laying the foundations of free regional trade with neighboring countries and we will soon establish, together with the Eurasian countries, the first free-trade zone.”

Rouhani said that despite its geographical dispersion, the D-8 organization enjoys tremendous capacities and bounties of, inter alia, human and natural resources, energy reserves, complementary economies and avid private sectors.

“Further, we all have more or less similar challenges on our paths to economic development.”

He added, “Ever since the dawn of the D-8, the Islamic Republic of Iran has endeavored to play its part in the accomplishment of the lofty objectives of the organization. Such measures as the establishment of the D-8 International University and D-8 Technology Transfer and Exchange Network, which, combined, target two key areas of ‘education and human resource development’ and ‘development of technological cooperation’ among eight countries, are testimony to our efforts. We are fully prepared to participate in the operationalization of D-8 agreements in IT, trade facilitation, investment, agriculture, petrochemicals, science, health, tourism, and facilitation of visa issuance,” Rouhani continued.

He noted, “Given the importance of foreign trade for national development and public welfare of the great people of D-8 member states, I would like to stress that the current trade volume among the eight countries is a far cry from the actual trade potentials of the D-8. As such, it is necessary that certain mechanisms be developed for the facilitation and promotion of trade among member states, including through customs and banking facilities and mechanisms as also non-banking ones. In this context, such proposed initiatives as a D-8 chamber of barter trade and D-8 credit cards may be helpful.”

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Rouhani made the remarks in an address via videoconference to the 10th summit of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, on Thursday.

“Here, I am honored to announce that all illegal unilateral measures taken by the United States to bring the Iranian nation to its knees have failed,” Iran’s president told the D-8 participants.

“Despite suffering heavy economic pressures, we have been able by relying on our own domestic will and capabilities to break remarkable grounds in various fields, including in the field of fighting the COVID-19 and its aftereffects,” he said.

Rouhani said while the world economy shrank by 3.5 percent and many countries experienced negative economic growth of five to 10 percent, the Iranian economy grew by more than 2 percent in the same period.

This clearly attests to the failure of the United States in its economic war against Iran, he added.

“In the last four years, the international community has witnessed the intensification of the U.S. government’s economic war against Iran. These cruel sanctions have caused great damage to our country,” Rouhani noted.

Despite U.S. efforts, “the nuclear deal, which the United States violated and did its utmost to destroy, has been preserved thanks to the wisdom of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

The president underlined that Washington is obligated to return to the JCPOA by lifting all anti-Iran sanctions and taking practical measures to secure Iran’s interests under the nuclear pact because “this is the duty of the same government that has reneged on the agreement.”

“The Islamic Republic, for its part, will definitely respond to such U.S. action with a positive reciprocal measure,” he asserted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani further denounced unilateralism and economic terrorism as issues that go hand in hand with the coronavirus in harming the international community.

These actions, he continued, not only illegally target ruling governments and independent nations, but also pose a serious threat to the achievements of the international community.

He also pointed to the issue of organized Islamophobia in the world, saying that in addition to targeting Islam’s lofty values and dignity, Islamophobia has also had far-reaching negative economic impacts on Islamic countries.

Rouhani went on to say, “we will establish the first free trade zone with the Eurasian countries, shortly.”

The 10th Summit of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation kicked off on Thursday with President Rouhani and the member states’ leaders in attendance.

In the virtual summit hosted by Bangladesh as the organization’s current chair, leaders of Iran, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, and Nigeria are taking part.

Ever since the dawn of the D-8, the Islamic Republic of Iran has endeavored to play its part in accomplishing the Organization’s lofty objectives. Such measures as the establishment of the D-8 International University and D-8 Technology Transfer and Exchange Network, which, combined, target two key areas of ‘education and human resource development and ‘development of technological cooperation’ among eight countries, are testimony to our efforts.

Rouhani also noted, “We are fully prepared to participate in the operationalization of D-8 agreements in IT, trade facilitation, investment, agriculture, petrochemicals, science, health, tourism, and visa issuance facilitation. Given the importance of foreign trade for national development and public welfare of the great people of D-8 Member States, I would like to stress that the current trade volume among the eight countries is a far cry from the actual trade potentials of the D-8.”

Certain mechanisms must be developed to promote and promote trade among the Member States, including through customs and banking facilities and mechanisms as also non-banking ones. Such proposed initiatives as a D-8 chamber of barter trade and D-8 credit cards may help this context, he continued.

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The president stressed that while those backing the failed economic terrorism are exerting every effort to make such a victory look unimportant, “Everybody should join hands to move the ideal goals forward and reach a brighter economic condition.”

Referring to the positive market developments in the past days, Rouhani said, “The infuriated enemies are trying to stop or slow down the positive trend with widespread propaganda and psychological warfare.”

“I am sure that the economic activists of the country and the people will not pay attention to such statements and actions, and will continue their path with strength, confidence, calm, and hope,” he stressed.

Rouhani stated that with the defeat of former US President Donald Trump’s economic war, the view of Iran’s trade parties has changed and the country’s economic relations are entering a new phase, adding that everyone should help manage sensitive markets such as foreign exchange within the policies of the central bank to reach the desired balance.

“The country’s economic situation is improving rapidly, but keeping such a development requires calm and peace in the market.”

The president of Iran is to sue his country’s state broadcaster after he was accused of opium use on national television.

On Friday, the president’s office of legal affairs said Rouhani would pursue damages for defamation after Ahmed Jahan Bozorgi, a cleric and member of an Islamic think tank, said Rouhani could often not be reached by members of the Iranian Cabinet because he was at home smoking the drug.

Alireza Moezi, on behalf of Rouhani’s office, said: “What was broadcast last night was sadly just shameless insult, slander, and foul language against the president.”

On Wednesday, Rouhani, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and Communications Minister Mohammad Azari Jahromi were summoned to Parliament to face questions over their relationship with recently-installed US President Joe Biden.

Rouhani said he hoped that US sanctions on Iran would soon be lifted, amid hopes that a change of president in the US could see a return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or “Iran Nuclear Deal,” that was sidelined by the US under Trump.

Such a sequence of events, it is thought, would give Rouhani and his allies a significant political win in the build-up to the June elections. The move is opposed by the hardliners, though, who favor a stronger stance on the US.

“We do not need the nuclear deal anymore. Our strength comes from the fact that we have kept our existence without it,” said Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

One member of parliament, meanwhile, said Iran should look to “impeach” Rouhani, following the example of Democrat senators in the US towards Trump, amid claims the trio were “friends” of the new administration in Washington.

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IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said that today, non-oil exports are responsible for providing the currency needed by the country.

Rouhani stated on Wednesday that Iran is facing bigger problems in oil exports, and the problem should be compensated by exporting other goods.

The President said: “The Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade is at the forefront of the fight against sanctions, and it is responsible for supplying basic and essential goods.”

He thanked the parliament for the vote of confidence to the Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade and said: “In the field of production, our movement should be better than in previous years. Despite the coronavirus spread, statistics in the first four or five months of the current Iranian year show that we are witnessing a growth in production compared to last year.”

“People should know that despite the hardships and pressure of sanctions, the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors have grown,” he noted.

“In previous years, we were under sanctions, not economic war,” Rouhani said.

“In the past, the government exported at least one million barrels of oil a day at a price of $ 120. In 2013, when oil prices fell, it was $ 104 a barrel. Our banks were not in the situation today and they had better conditions.” the president highlighted.

The president stressed: “In the 11th government, the situation was better and we were removed from the FATF blacklist, and unfortunately, problems arose for us because of the four bills.”

“The provision of basic and essential goods is very important for us, and thank God, in the difficult conditions that coronavirus has created for us, our efforts to provide the health and medical goods needed by the people were right.”

“We must explain the facts to the people as they are. Sanctions have been in place for years, but the economic war has been going on since 2018. Let us not make mistakes and distort the address and date, and instead tell the facts to the people, which of course does not mean that we are scared and retreated in the face of enemy conspiracies.”

“It is true that the government’s view is that we must interact with the world, we will repeat it a thousand more times. We said ‘constructive interaction’, and the Supreme Leader corrected it and said ‘extensive constructive interaction’, so we should have extensive constructive interaction with the world.”

“We should talk about the problems, but also explain to the people what has been done and let the people know the facts of our situation. If someone says that all the problems are on the shoulders of the executive management and the government, it is wrong. We all have a heavy burden today. This heavy burden must be borne by the three branches, the armed forces and our dear people until we reach our destination.”

He also urged Iranians abroad to invest in the country and to develop.

Rouhani has pointed to the first debate of U.S. Presidential candidates, noting that ‘Americans are enmeshed in a very tough situation’.

Speaking in a Wednesday’s cabinet session, Rouhani pointed to the history of US measures against Iran, saying, “Americans are seeking to devise new plots every day.”

“Americans have been enmeshed in a very tough situation. If you have listened to last night’s debate or have followed up the issue on media, you have seen what a tough situation they have.”

“On the one hand, they had the worst management of the coronavirus and on the other, unemployment has increased. On the one hand, domestic unrest had exacerbated and on the other, they have had no achievement in their foreign policy.”

Rouhani noted that the Trump administration’s policies have not only failed against Iran but also against Europe and the Asia Pacific.

“It is normal for a country that has a lot of problems inside to divert these to the outside world.”

Elsewhere, he said that despite the U.S. unilateral sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran is seeing an increase of production in industrial sectors. Rouhani said that the output in steel, auto, and petrochemical industries have grown in the past five months as compared to the same period last year.

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IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

Iran is in a “psychological and economic war” situation, the president said, adding that surrendering to the enemy in the current stage would wipe off all democratic achievements of the past decades.

The U.S. wants to force Iran to return to 40 years ago, Rouhani deplored, saying, “But we say that our path is (one of) independence and democracy. (These are not things one) can compromise on.”

Rouhani said the adversaries were seeking to defeat the Iranian nation in the current Iranian year –which ends in two weeks-, but the great nation resisted pressures in all difficult stages.

“The enemy (the U.S.) did not have any success in its plots against Iran at the Warsaw conference,” the president said, stressing that Iranians have emerged victorious despite all plots, acts of sabotage and sanctions by the adversaries.

Stating that the enemies make the problems, but they will definitely not achieve their goals, president said, “during the economic war, the country needs a single commander; I suggested to the Leader to be the commander, but he said it is the president who has to be the commander of this war.”

Elsewhere, he went on to say, “we promised that we would work towards self-sufficiency in energy consumption and today, we are fully self-sufficient in this sector.”

Referring to the government’s promise to people to connect four major provinces to the nationwide railway system, he said, “Hamedan, Kermanshah, Urmia, and today, Rasht, are connected to the system.”

“Bandar-e Anzali and Caspian Sea must be connected to the Persian Gulf through railways as soon as possible,” continued Rouhani.

He also stressed the importance of the environment and protecting the wetlands of Gilan Province.

He later inaugurated the Qazvin-Rasht railway, stretched along the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. It connects to the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC).

The construction of the Rasht-Qazvin railway project started in 2006, and the 164-km long stretch will further be connected to Anzali and Astara ports.

The route will connect Iran with Russia’s Baltic ports and give Russia rail connectivity to both the Persian Gulf and the Indian rail network.

The project will reduce a significant share of cargo transportation costs between Asia and Europe.

Concurrent with the inauguration of the Qazvin-Rasht railway, the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad and another line linking Rasht to Caspian Port then to the port city of Anzali in Gilan province will commence.

The Rasht-Caspian route will be completed in a year, and the stretch will be extended to Anzali Port in two years.

Once the project is complete, the Caspian Port will become the largest hub in northern Iran and make a major contribution to national and local economic development.

Rasht-Astara project is also slated to go on stream within 4 years.

All the mentioned projects are aimed to contribute to achieving INSTC’s envisaged plans.

INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

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In a speech on Tuesday morning, Major General Jafari pointed to Washington’s sanctions on Tehran and said, “We are in an economic war with the enemy.”

“If we rely on our own resources and indigenous Iranian and Islamic methods, we can resolve the problems much better than the present situation,” the commander said.

In the 40th year after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and despite all these hostilities and attempts by the enemies to create problems for the country, Iran is resisting the problems unitedly, he added.

“All enemy resources have been mobilized to distort (the truth about) the Islamic Republic’s positive measures…,” Major General Jafari stated.

The remarks came as tensions between Iran and the US have escalated since US President Donald Trump walked away from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Trump on August 6 signed an executive order re-imposing many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He said the US policy is to levy “maximum economic pressure” on the country.

The second batch of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic took effect on November 4.

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Iran’s Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has called for the private sector’s help as the country is engaged in a real economic war led by the US.

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Tehran’s provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani stressed that in the face of the US, Zionist regime, and Saudi Arabia’s economic war, people should remain vigilant, calling on the authorities and private sector to do their own duties to confront the plots.

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