Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that he had no intention to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to New York, arguing that the United States uses threats and sanctions against his country.
He also added that for the time being the circumstances were not suitable for a meeting because, as he said, the United States turned its back on diplomacy when it abandoned the Iran nuclear deal in May.
“Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats [and bring] to bear all of its power against another government and nation,” Rouhani said. “That means that the necessary willpower is absent in order to resolve outstanding issues.”
Rouhani, who is in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly session, further maintained the United States was hostile towards his country, adding that the prerequisite for any dialogue is for the U.S. to repair the damage done by leaving the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The Iranian president then went on to say that his country’s economy will endure the blows of the U.S. sanctions, adding that Washington’s threats to choke off Iranian oil exports were just an “empty promise.”
“The United States is not capable of bringing our oil exports to zero. It’s a threat that is empty of credibility. Perhaps on this path, we will sustain certain pressures but certainly the United States will not reach its objective,” he said, as quoted by Euronews.
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