6 Persons
5 March 2020 - 22:20

Rouhani challenges Trump's honesty

Mohammad Reza Noroozpour
Rouhani challenges Trump's honesty

Addressing the United States, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani's recent remarks, if well interpreted, could be a way out for Donald Trump of his self-imposed deadlock confronting Iran.

The US president Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew his country from the P5 + 1 nuclear deal with Iran known as JCPOA, had been trying hard to push Iran to renegotiate the deal as the way Trump would be pleased, but had failed each time.
Recently, with the spread of the Corona virus in Iran and the deaths of nearly one hundred people, many countries around the world have criticized the US for exerting extreme pressure on Iran and continuing unprecedented unilateral sanctions against the nation. 
However, two days later the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani showed a way to the US government to get out of the self-imposed stalemate with Iran without mentioning the United States directly, saying “If you are really telling the truth, then lift sanctions on medicine.” 
It was one of the rare official stances from Iranian top leaders toward the US aid offer which last week, revealed by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
On Monday, Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabiei called the offer of the US aid to the Iranian people hypocritical, saying that Iran would not accept assistance from countries that are not sincere.
“They’ve appeared with a mask of sympathy that ‘we also want to help the people of Iran’,” president Rouhani said, adding that “Unfortunately, those who even imposed sanctions on drugs and food have done the most vicious act against the Iranian people in these two years; you had better lift the drug sanctions at least if you're really right.”
US officials claim that the sanctions against Iran do not target medicines, however Iran argues that because of the severe sanctions the US has imposed on bank transactions with Iran, drugs and food are also subjected to sanctions as well. 
 “If you are honest to Iranian people, you should first apologize them and say our first step is that the banking activities for the purchase of medicine, transportation of medicine, shipping activities in this regard and the delivery of foodstuff for people will be free and we have lifted these sanctions against Iranians,” Rouhani showed the way to the US government. 
“Our people know very well that you are lying; you are not telling the truth; here I have to thank all the governments and countries that have helped us and are ready to help us; they have sent equipment and are still ready for sending medicine and equipment to our country; I thank them all,” he stressed. 
It seems now that the spread of Covid-19 in Iran like as many other countries around the world, may cause a proper, nonpolitical excuse for the US government and Trump himself to show humanity and temporarily lift the sanctions, if only there is such a will in the White House, of course. Who knows? Maybe after that, some new ways of getting out of the deadlock with Iran will show up.

News ID 191606

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