TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that separating budget from oil revenues requires a “precise surgery”.

“Budget and oil are twins and separating them require a precise surgery which is difficult at the beginning,” he said during a press conference.

He noted that the government is planning to reduce reliance on oil revenues in the next Iranian calendar year’s budget, which starts on March 21, 2020.

The president also said that Iran has become more powerful politically and internationally.

“Today, we can firmly announce that plots of the United States, the global hegemony, Zionism and regional reactionary countries to harm the system have ended. All of them have confessed that we have passed the crisis through resistance and vigilance,” he stated.

The president said in this “great psychological, economic and political war all resisted and broke the back of the crisis.”

He noted that the world praises the Iranians’ resistance against pressures.

Rouhani said economic indicators suggest that the country’s economy is moving toward stability.

Elsewhere, Rouhani said, “I am ready to attend any meeting that guarantees the nation’s interests and I am proud to be sacrificed for my people.”

He said that Iran is ready to hold talks within the 5+1 group whenever the sanctions are removed.

‘U.S. committed great mistake by quitting JCPOA’

Rouhani also said the Trump administration committed a great mistake by abandoning the nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA.
 
On May 8, 2018, Donald Trump officially quit the nuclear deal and ordered sanctions against Iran. His administration not only returned sanctions lifted under the JCPOA it added news ones.

In April, the United States ordered a total ban on Iran’s oil export, a move intended to strangulate the Iranian economy.

Trump himself has acknowledged “economic war” on Iran in line with his administration’s “maximum pressure” policy.

‘Iran’s ties with UAE is improving’

Rouhani also said that Iran has always sought to have good relations with its neighbors, noting 

Iran has no problem to hold talks with Saudi Arabia.

“In order to solve regional issues, especially relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the issue of Yemen is important. If a ceasefire is reached and the war ends, a knot is relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will be untied,” the president remarked.

He added that Iran’s relations with the United Arab Emirates is improving.

The president said Iran has two clear messages for the world: Iran is seeking peace in the region and it is ready for negotiations. 

‘We oppose Turkish attack on Syria’

Rouhani also said that Iran does not approve of Turkey’s military attack on northern Syria, which started on Wednesday.

“Turkey has concerns about north of Syria and we accept them. We accept a country’s security concerns. Turkey is our friend. However, we do not accept the method it has chosen. This is not a good method. There exist better methods,” he stated.

‘Any country which attacked Iran’s oil tanker must wait for consequences’

Rouhani also pointed to attack Iran’s oil tanker on Friday, saying any country which carried out the attack must wait for its consequences.

“All countries should know that causing insecurity in the region does not mean putting pressure against the Islamic Republic of Iran and means pressure against the international security and economy,” he said.

NA