TEHRAN - Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, urges the Biden administration to make up for Donald Trump’s mistakes, respect international regulations, and not shy away from surrendering to law, according to Tasnim news agency.

In comments after inaugurating a number of industrial projects at a videoconference on Thursday, Rouhani said the new U.S. administration has realized that Washington has made mistakes in dealing with Iran.

“Surrendering to law is not a fault. Do not shy away. What is bad is surrendering to force,” the president advised the U.S. government.

Rouhani also rejected the notion that Iran has taken a series of nuclear steps to pressurize the U.S., adding, “Tehran calls on Washington to respect law and honor commitments, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.”

He also stressed that his cabinet would never have thought that a “stupid” person like Trump might take the helm at the U.S. and wage an unprecedented economic war against the Iranian nation.

The Iranian president highlighted the economic progress in Iran despite crippling sanctions, saying, “Despite all U.S. pressures and economic war and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Iran maintained economic progress in various industrial sectors, such as steel production.”

Rouhani also praised his government’s success in joining the Eurasian Economic Union and unveiled plans for Iran’s permanent membership in the union, which he said would serve the purposes of Iran’s resistance economy and facilitate exports with suitable tariffs.

President Joe Biden, who had pledged to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has so far refused to lift economic sanctions and imposed by his predecessor. 

In remarks on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iran has had enough of empty promises about the nuclear deal, demanding practical action on fulfilling the JCPOA by the other parties.