Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on his fellow countrymen to unite in order to overcome the "economic war" that is being imposed on the Islamic Republic by the United States.
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Iran describes the U.S. sanctions as “economic warfare” and Rouhani said on Tuesday there would be no talks with the United States until all sanctions imposed on Tehran were lifted.
“We need to unite to fight against and to win this economic war that America has launched against Iran,” Rouhani said in a televised speech.Tensions between Tehran and Washington have heightened since Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s government spokesman Ali Rabie said on Wednesday: “Taking into account Donald Trump’s personal traits, we don’t trust him; however, Iran has never abandoned diplomacy but we are determined to pursue it as an equal (of the United States),” state TV reported.
Since ditching the deal last year, Trump has pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” to try to force Iran into broader talks to restrict its ballistic missile program and end its support for proxy forces around the Middle East.
Iran, which has slowly been breaching the nuclear deal in retaliation for U.S. sanctions, has threatened further violations in early September unless it receives sanctions relief.