US will have to end ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran: Present Rouhani

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the United States will have to stop its policy of exerting “maximum pressure” on Iran, stressing that the current conditions that stem from that policy are only temporary.

“Under the current conditions that the United States is imposing unilateral sanctions against [various] nations, we must try to maintain mutual relations and cooperation,” Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Tehran on Monday.

“There is no doubt that these conditions are temporary and sooner or later, before or after its [forthcoming] presidential election, America will have to give up [its policy of exerting] maximum pressure on Iran,” Iran's president said.

In May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Tehran and major world powers in 2015, in defiance of global objections and unleashed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, under which it has imposed the “toughest ever” sanctions targeting the Iranian economy in order to force Tehran into submitting to its excessive demands.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in September that Iran will not engage in negotiations with the United States “at any level,” and that Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign against the Iranian nation has failed to achieve its goals.

Ayatollah Khamenei: No talks with US; maximum pressure campaign futile

Ayatollah Khamenei says Washington can be part of the negotiations with Tehran along with other cosignatories to the nuclear deal, only if it returns to the JCPOA.

The Leader added that the US’ maximum pressure strategy consists of “a range of sanctions, threats and rants,” which are meant to bring Iran to the negotiating table but it failed to bring the country to its knees, saying, "In return, we need to prove that the policy is not worth a penny for the Iranian nation.”

In a meeting with the visiting Indian minister of external affairs earlier on Monday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said imposing sanctions and fomenting terrorism are two main pillars of the United States’ strategy against independent countries.

Sanctions, terrorism, US main strategies against independent countries: Iran's Shamkhani

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Mentioning sanctions and terrorism as the two main components of the United States’ strategy against independent countries, Shamkhani said, “Through collective efforts, we can not only repel these two inhuman threats, but also delineate new horizons for progress by relying on indigenous capabilities of regional countries.”

Read more:

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• New US sanctions, maximum failure of maximum pressure: Iran FM

Elsewhere in the meeting, Rouhani said Iran seeks to reduce tensions and establish sustainable security in the region, especially in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, adding that multilateral cooperation of Iran and India with other countries is of high importance in this regard.

He added that both Tehran and New Delhi attach importance to preserving security in the region, saying, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has presented [its] Hormuz Peace Endeavor in this regard, which can be a solution to the maintenance of sustainable security and stability in the region."

In an address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly on September 25, Rouhani invited all countries that are affected by developments in the Persian Gulf to join the country’s initiative for the security of the strategic region.

Rouhani tells US to leave region, as neighbors not outsiders can ensure own security

Iran says the US is not welcome in the region and must leave it as neighbors not outsiders can themselves ensure the security of the Persian Gulf.

He said that the “Coalition of HOPE” aims to promote peace, stability, progress and prosperity of littoral states and help achieve mutual understanding and establish peaceful and friendly relations among them.

Read more:

• Iran's Hormuz initiative seeks lasting peace in the Persian Gulf: Rouhani
• HOPE initiative aimed at reducing regional tensions: Senior diplomat
• Iran believes in strong neighborhood policy: Zarif
• Iran welcomes Japan plan not to join US-led naval coalition in Persian Gulf: Rouhani

Iran will remain strong, stable despite woes: Jaishankar

The Indian foreign minister, for his part, said the ongoing difficult situation facing Iran will certainly end and that the country will remain strong and stable despite all its problems.

He added that the 19th session of the Iran-India joint economic commission held in Tehran on Sunday was constructive and could play an effective role in solving problems in the way of the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Jaishankar called on the two countries' officials to make more efforts to improve cooperation in different fields, particularly in the trade and economic sectors.

In a post on his official Twitter account on Sunday after co-chairing the 19th session of the Iran-India joint economic commission, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hailed longstanding relations between Iran and its southern Asian ally, emphasizing that relations between Tehran and New Delhi are unbreakable.

Iran's foreign minister hails ‘historic and unbreakable’ ties with India

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Saying that “excellent discussions on closer bilateral relations & regional & global issues affecting our respective countries,” were held during the meeting, Iran's top diplomat said, “Our ties are ancient, historic & unbreakable.”

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