Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says that Tehran favors talks with the US if it lifts sanctions against the Islamic Republic, despite his top diplomat turning down a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Rouhani says that “peace with Iran is the mother of all peace” and “war with Iran is the mother of all wars” as he defended a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
“Iran favors talks and negotiations and, if the US really wants to talk, before anything else it should lift all sanctions,” Rouhani says in remarks aired live on state television.
Rouhani, speaking after meeting with his top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, says Iran was ready for talks regardless of whether or not the US was party to the nuclear deal.
“Whether they want to come into the JCPOA or not, it’s up to them,” says Rouhani, referring to the deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“All sanctions should be lifted so that there will be no criminals facing us,” he said, accusing the US of committing acts of “economic terrorism” for blocking food and medicine imports.
— AFP
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
