Iranian president Hassan Rouhani admitted on Tuesday that US sanctions on Iran were having a serious impact on the economy and have placed pressure on the government, but vowed to Iranian lawmakers that Tehran would overcome efforts by the Trump White House to scuttle the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and torpedo the rogue regime’s nuclear program.
For the first time since he took office five years ago, Rouhani was summoned by the Iranian parliament amid ongoing economic woes that have ratcheted up public criticism of the regime.
Rouhani said that Iran was indeed facing “critical” economic problems caused in large part by the US sanctions, and fretted that Iran’s citizens were losing “their faith” in the government.
"The economic problems are critical, but more important than that is that many people have lost their faith in the future of the Islamic Republic and are in doubt about its power."
Nevertheless, Iran’s president said Tehran would continue to defy American demands it halt its nuclear program and end its support for terrorist groups around the world.
“We are not afraid of America or the economic problems,” Rouhani continued. “We will overcome the troubles."
Despite the impact US sanctions have had since the Trump administration withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May, Rouhani said his government would overcome efforts by “anti-Iranian officials in the White House.”
“We will not let this bunch of anti-Iranians in the White House be able to plot against us.”
“I want to assure the Iranian nation that we will not allow the U.S. plot against the Islamic Republic to succeed.
Rouhani claimed that the Trump administration left the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal, because of anti-government protests inside Iran which “tempted” the White House to restore sanctions.
“The protests tempted Trump to withdraw from the nuclear deal.”
