Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said that the divisions between the US and Europe over renewed sanctions on Iran were a “rare historical victory” for the nation.
“If this time last year, we had stated that America would stand against the great nation of Iran ... and Europe would stand with Iran and against America, the overwhelming majority of us ... would have said that this was pure optimism,” Rouhani told lawmakers in a televised address. “The political victory of the great nation of Iran over the past months is a rare victory in history.”
EU countries have opposed a decision by US President Donald Trump to abandon a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions — the last of which are to return on Monday next week.
Photo: AP
Rouhani was addressing the Iranian Parliament for a special session to approve four new ministers covering the portfolios of economy, transport, labor and industry.
He said that Iranians were feeling the economic strain.
“All of us understand people are suffering and under pressure,” he said. “People’s lives, in particular those on a fixed income, are very difficult.”
However, he insisted there were sufficient reserves of basic commodities and foreign currency to weather the storm, even after a record-breaking plunge in the rial over the summer and imminent sanctions on its crucial oil industry.
“We cannot tell our people that because of America’s pressure, we cannot do anything. This answer is not acceptable. We cannot tell people that because there are problems with selling our oil, we are unable to manage the country,” he said.
He criticized foreign media reports that costs were soaring, despite Iran’s own central bank showing food and drink prices had risen 46.5 percent in the first nine month of the year.
“Foreign media lie to people of Iran and say that Iran is the most expensive country people live in,” Rouhani said.
Lawmakers later approved the four names put forward by Rouhani: Farhad Dejpasand as minister of economic affairs, Mohammad Eslami for transport, Reza Rahmani for industry and Mohammad Shariatmadari for labor.
The previous ministers of economy and labor were impeached by parliament in August, while the other two resigned last week.
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