US Sanctions Policy On Iran Has Failed: President Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed Sunday that the policy of "maximum pressure" exercised by the United States on Iran has failed and that all the economic indicators of the Islamic republic show that the Iranians have overcome the worst phase of that policy.

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"The U.S. has concluded that the path they have chosen to deal with Iran has been based on the wrong strategy,” Rouhani said, referring to several issues of interest like the U.S. policies against Iran and the peace and stability in the region, during a press conference in Tehran. 

"Those who thought that harsh pressure and sanctions would make us negotiate from a position of weakness were wrong. We have spoken to the world with power and dignity, but we will never negotiate from a position of weakness." 

The president went on to say that "it is clear to the world that there will be no peace in this region without the presence of Iran. Regional stability can only be achieved with the presence of a major and powerful country like Iran."

Rouhani said that the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) iniative has been proposed to all countries during the U.N. General Assembly in 2019 and sent to the Secretary-General.

The HOPE proposal is a mechanism in which regional countries can strengthen peace and stability and promote their bilateral and multilateral cooperation.  Rouhani stressed that all countries in the region should enjoy peace without exception, otherwise the region would see stability fade away.

When asked about the consequences of President Donald Trump's possible re-election, Rouhan said that "the ruling party in the United States is not important to us. What we care about are our national interests.”

"There have been, and will always be, two major political groups in the United States, one group that believes in pressuring Iran to achieve its goals, and another that believes that Iran is more powerful than they thought it was and that they should negotiate on better terms," the Iranian president added.