TEHRAN— Speaking to his cabinet on Wednesday, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said that the sanctions are broken and soon to be lifted.

He also stated that the people are witnessing the result of their resistance in Vienna.  

“As the head of the executive branch, I declare in front of the people that the sanctions have been broken, and if we stand together, the sanctions will be lifted soon,” Rouhani said, stressing that the other side has no choice but to return to all of its JCPOA commitments.

He also praised Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his negotiating team, saying, “What our negotiators accomplished in Vienna in terms of sanctions was a major accomplishment, and if the other side completely returns to the rule of law, its obligations, and [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231, I believe things will be resolved soon.”

The president affirmed that the talks are proceeding in the right framework and direction.

He clarified that nearly a year before the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed in 2015, Iran and six world powers were on the verge of reaching a nuclear deal, but Israel and some reactionary countries in the region advised the U.S. to hold off for a few months.

According to Rouhani, they told the U.S. that “we would reduce oil prices so that Iran is forced to agree to whatever you say.” 

And that is how they were able to delay the signing of a deal, he remembered.

He said that they continued to plot against Iran even after the JCPOA was signed and that one of their plots was successful during the 2016 U.S. election, which saw Donald Trump ascended to the presidency.

Rouhani was referring to President Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018, when, under heavy lobbying from Israel and Saudi Arabia, he pursued an aggressive policy of sanctions and threats against the Islamic Republic.

“The Zionists worked hard to get Trump elected, and they knew [Trump] was an incompetent person who could be easily duped,” he said. “They turned him into a mercenary and abandoned the JCPOA, assuming the deal was done for good.”

‘Quds Day will be Zionists’ mourning day’

Elsewhere in his remarks, President Rouhani called this year's International Quds Day, which falls on May 7, will be a "mourning day for the Zionists."

Quds Day falls on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

“The Zionists are the enemies of the country, stability, the Palestinian people and of their neighbors, and they are the executioners and tyrants of [modern] history, who have displaced millions of people,” President Rouhani said.

He said Quds Day, named by the late founder of the Islamic Republic's founder, Imam Khomeini, to champion the Palestinian cause, is a source of pride for the Islamic Republic of Iran and a legacy of the late Imam.

SA/PM