Rouhani urges efforts against US ‘unilateralism’ in phone call with Erdogan

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has blasted the United States for breaking yet another promise to the world community by leaving the 2015 multinational nuclear deal with Iran, calling for efforts to confront Washington’s “unilateralism.”

In a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rouhani said, “The Americans should know that they cannot just pull out of their international agreements comfortably and without paying any price.”

Rouhani further said that Iran “expects world leaders to condemn” the US for unilaterally withdrawing from the landmark nuclear deal, which is the fruit of over a decade of negotiations between Tehran and six world states.

American President Donald Trump triggered international condemnations late on Tuesday, when he announced Washington was walking away from the Iran nuclear deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The US president also said the “highest level” of economic sanctions would be reinstated against Iran, threatening similar bans against any nation that would help Iran in what he claimed to be “its quest for nuclear weapons.”

With the US gone, Rouhani added, Iran now needs to make sure it can fully reap the benefits of the nuclear deal. 

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The president added that the Europeans and the five other signatories “should now work to decide and transparently announce the measures they plan to take in order to make up for the US exit from the JCPOA.”

Iran has reiterated that it will remain in the JCPOA for now, pending negotiations with the other signatories in the coming weeks before making a final decision on its future role in the pact.

“Any new sanctions by the US against the Iranian nation would be a violation of international regulations and UN Security Council Resolution 2231,” which endorsed the JCPOA, Rouhani stated.

The Iranian chief executive also said the US should not be allowed to impose its domestic rules on other countries, stressing that neighboring Iran and Turkey have always stood shoulder to shoulder in the face of illegal measures on the international stage.

He called for the enhancement of Tehran-Ankara ties in the areas of economy and commerce, adding that the two neighbors could rely on their national currencies and promote banking ties as well as bilateral preferential trade to that effect.

In turn, Erdogan described the JCPOA as “a successful agreement,” calling for efforts to keep the international document in place.

The Turkish head of state slammed Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran deal as a “wrong” move," saying that the US would be the “ultimate loser” of its own decision.

He also reaffirmed Rouhani’s stance on the further expansion of bilateral trade ties in the wake of Washington’s pullout of the deal, emphasizing that the two sides should make efforts to protect their economies in the face of interventionist attempts.

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