President Rouhani:

U.S. Must Return to Int’l Treaties, Respect Iranian Nation

Date: 04 November 2020 - 22:08

News ID: ۸۴۴۹۰

TEHRAN (Dispatches) - Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Tehran wants Washington to return to international pacts and respect the Iranian nation no matter which individual or political party comes to power in the White House.
"What is happening in America and who will be elected do not concern us,” Rouhani told a cabinet meeting. "Individuals and party affiliations do not matter to us, but it is rather the approach that the next U.S. government adopts that counts.”
The remarks came as vote counting is underway in the U.S. to determine the winner of the tight 2020 presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
During his four-year presidency, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a number of multilateral accords, among them the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"We want the U.S. to return to the rule of law, all international and multilateral treaties, and respect the Iranian nation. We demand respect instead of sanctions,” Rouhani said.
The situation will change if the United States lifts the oppressive sanctions, sets threats aside, begins respecting Iran and fulfills its obligations under the JCPOA instead of reneging on commitments and breaking the law, Rouhani said.
"It is the principles, methods and policies that are important to us,” he said.
The Iranian chief executive also stressed that the Islamic Republic has, however, made plans based on the assumption that Washington’s manner will not return to the right path.
"If the Americans understand and learn the lesson that they have to change course, so much the better, otherwise we have already made our decisions based on how to run the country under difficult circumstances,” he said.
His remarks came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined that Iran would continue its past policies irrespective of the results of the November 3 presidential elections in the U.S.
"No matter who wins the U.S. elections, it won’t affect our policy toward the U.S. Some people talk

about what will happen if this or that one is elected. Yes, certain events may happen but they don’t concern us. Our policy is calculated and clear,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a televised speech on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Imam Jafar Sadeq (AS) the sixth Imam of Shiites on Tuesday.
The outcome of the U.S. presidential election is on a knife edge, with Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden neck and neck in key swing states.