Rouhani: We should not allow Trump to succeed

TEHRAN (Agencies): President Hassan Rouhani has urged the Iranian people to take a firm and united stand against the United States and its allies trying to undermine the country’s integrity.

“This is a matter of national interests. And we should all stand up and not allow [US President Donald] Trump to succeed,” Rouhani told a gathering of governors and heads of provincial governments in Tehran on Monday.

“We should not let the White House terrorists succeed; they are terrorizing Iran’s relationship with the world banks. We have to be careful, they are terrorizing people’s trust in the system,” he added.

President Rouhani cited a campaign by the US as well as Israel and “reactionary Arab states” to undermine Iran’s economic growth

He touched on the US withdrawal from a historic 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and other states, saying the pullout came after the Islamic Republic experienced its highest level of economic growth after the implementation of the agreement.

The US abandoned the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 even though the accord had been approved by the United Nations Security Council. Washington followed on its withdrawal by reimposing the draconian sanctions that the deal had lifted on Iran. 

Rouhani also touched on the US assassination in Baghdad in early January of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani — the Middle East’s most revered anti-terror military figure.

Trump’s move against the JCPOA, his order to assassinate Gen. Soleimani, and the US president’s plans to target the Iranian people’s welfare, unity, and national integrity “all follow the same direction,” the Iranian president said.

“They want to tell the world that Iran is a forlorn and isolated island. They want to create a permanent wall around Iran,” he said, adding, “We should not let this happen. They want to separate us from the world.”

The president also urged a high turnout in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for February 21.

The people should be watchful of attempts to harm their trust in the establishment, he said.

Rouhani also highlighted the need for diversity and competitiveness in the upcoming elections. He said the elections must be inclusive meaning all parties, irrespective of their political orientation, need to be represented in the election process.