MPs Reject Rouhani’s Answers:
President: U.S. Plot Will Not Succeed
LONDON (Dispatches) -- Iran will overcome newly reimposed U.S. measures against Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani told a parliamentary session on Tuesday, vowing that his government would defeat any Western plot against the Islamic Republic.
The parliament summoned Rouhani for the first time to answer questions on economy, but Rouhani said the troubles only began when Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in May from a deal that had lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
Washington imposed a new round of sanctions in August targeting Iran’s trade in gold and other precious metals, its purchases of U.S. dollars and its car industry. A new round of sanctions to be imposed in November targets Iranian oil sales.
"I want to assure the Iranian nation that we will not allow the U.S. plot against the Islamic Republic to succeed," Rouhani said in a live televised speech.
"We will not let this bunch of anti-Iranians in the White House be able to plot against us." He added, "We are not afraid of America or the economic problems. We will overcome the troubles."
His critics in the parliament have pressed Rouhani to reshuffle his economic team to better shield the economy from Trump’s moves.
Rouhani said the troubles began with anti-government protests in early January. "The protests tempted Trump to withdraw from the nuclear deal," he said, asking lawmakers to support his cabinet.
Lawmakers asked why the government had not adopted reforms in the financial sector and foreign exchange market, and sought an explanation why, more than two years after the nuclear deal, Iranian banks still had only limited access to global financial services.
Rouhani appointed a new central bank governor and accepted the government spokesman’s resignation, suggesting that he accepts the need to reshuffle his economic team.
The parliament, however, voted to reject his answers. It was the first time Rouhani had been summoned by parliament in his five years in power.
The lawmakers, who have already impeached his labor and economy ministers this month, were unimpressed.
In votes at the end of the session, they expressed dissatisfaction with Rouhani's responses to four of their five questions on the economy.
In the coming days, they will decide whether the government's failures on these issues amount to a breach of legal obligations and should be referred to the judiciary.
As usual, Rouhani offered no concrete policy proposals, instead saying the answer lay in showing a united front.
"You may talk about employment, foreign currency, recession, smuggling... I think the problem is in people's view of the future," he said.
"The people are not afraid of the United States, they are afraid of our disagreements. If the people see we are united, they will realize the problems will be resolved."
But most Iranians blame the government for failing to capitalize on the nuclear deal.
"You created a palace of wishes called the JCPOA," said Mojtaba Zolnour, an MP for the holy city of Qom, using the technical name for the nuclear deal.
"With one kick from Trump, this palace was demolished, and you didn't have an alternative," he said.
Nevertheless Principlist MP Hussein Naqavi Husseini said, "We will stand by your government for the sake of protecting the system of the Islamic Republic."
But when it came to the votes, lawmakers accepted only one of Rouhani's answers -- related to international banking sanctions, which they agreed were beyond his government's control.
The parliament summoned Rouhani for the first time to answer questions on economy, but Rouhani said the troubles only began when Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in May from a deal that had lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
Washington imposed a new round of sanctions in August targeting Iran’s trade in gold and other precious metals, its purchases of U.S. dollars and its car industry. A new round of sanctions to be imposed in November targets Iranian oil sales.
"I want to assure the Iranian nation that we will not allow the U.S. plot against the Islamic Republic to succeed," Rouhani said in a live televised speech.
"We will not let this bunch of anti-Iranians in the White House be able to plot against us." He added, "We are not afraid of America or the economic problems. We will overcome the troubles."
His critics in the parliament have pressed Rouhani to reshuffle his economic team to better shield the economy from Trump’s moves.
Rouhani said the troubles began with anti-government protests in early January. "The protests tempted Trump to withdraw from the nuclear deal," he said, asking lawmakers to support his cabinet.
Lawmakers asked why the government had not adopted reforms in the financial sector and foreign exchange market, and sought an explanation why, more than two years after the nuclear deal, Iranian banks still had only limited access to global financial services.
Rouhani appointed a new central bank governor and accepted the government spokesman’s resignation, suggesting that he accepts the need to reshuffle his economic team.
The parliament, however, voted to reject his answers. It was the first time Rouhani had been summoned by parliament in his five years in power.
The lawmakers, who have already impeached his labor and economy ministers this month, were unimpressed.
In votes at the end of the session, they expressed dissatisfaction with Rouhani's responses to four of their five questions on the economy.
In the coming days, they will decide whether the government's failures on these issues amount to a breach of legal obligations and should be referred to the judiciary.
As usual, Rouhani offered no concrete policy proposals, instead saying the answer lay in showing a united front.
"You may talk about employment, foreign currency, recession, smuggling... I think the problem is in people's view of the future," he said.
"The people are not afraid of the United States, they are afraid of our disagreements. If the people see we are united, they will realize the problems will be resolved."
But most Iranians blame the government for failing to capitalize on the nuclear deal.
"You created a palace of wishes called the JCPOA," said Mojtaba Zolnour, an MP for the holy city of Qom, using the technical name for the nuclear deal.
"With one kick from Trump, this palace was demolished, and you didn't have an alternative," he said.
Nevertheless Principlist MP Hussein Naqavi Husseini said, "We will stand by your government for the sake of protecting the system of the Islamic Republic."
But when it came to the votes, lawmakers accepted only one of Rouhani's answers -- related to international banking sanctions, which they agreed were beyond his government's control.