TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the United States’ maximum pressure against Iran has failed and sanctions will be ineffective.

“20 months have passed since the United States’ sanctions and maximum pressure. Our situation has become better in the past 6 months and the maximum pressure has failed,” he told a press conference.

He added, “Our domestic condition is our unity. They wanted to make the people believe that we cannot live without an agreement with the United States. Nobody in the country has this belief.”

Elsewhere, he said, “They thought they could bring us to the negotiating table in a state in which we are weak by the maximum pressure. Such a thing is not possible.”

‘We will force enemy come to the negotiating table’

Rouhani also said that Iran will continue its path powerfully and finally will force the enemy to come to the negotiating table.

“Today, they ask for negotiation, however, they must return to a fair situation,” he noted.

He added, “So, our path will be resistance and progress.”

“They (the U.S.) thought they could bring us to the negotiating table in a state in which we are weak by the maximum pressure. Such a thing is not possible.”Elsewhere, Rouhani noted that it does not matter which party will take the helm at the White House and what is important is “national interests”.

“The United States must forget unilateralism and must also forget it is the leader of the world. If it respects these two factors and values legal governments and all the nations, we can pass problems,” he noted.

‘We still insist on Hormuz peace initiative’

Rouhani also said that all the regional countries must enjoy security and Iran still insists on the Hormuz peace initiative.

“It is obvious to the world that there will be no peace in this region without involvement of Iran. Regional stability will only be possible with the involvement of an important and powerful country like Iran,” he said.

‘We have no unsolvable problem with Saudi Arabia’

Rouhani also said that Iran has “no unsolvable” problem with Saudi Arabia.

“We have always said that we have no complicated and unsolvable problem with Saudi Arabia and the issues between the two countries can be discussed whenever Saudi Arabia is ready,” he stated.

‘People could be informed about Ukrainian plane crash earlier’

Rouhani also said that the people could be informed earlier about the Ukrainian passenger plane crash which was mistakenly shot down on January 8.

He praised the armed forces’ apology for the incident.

NA/PA