Tehran (AFP)
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on Tuesday urged the United States to "take the first step in lifting all sanctions" against his country, the day after the declaration of US President Donald Trump deeming realistic next meeting with the Iranian leader.
The first "step is to withdraw the sanctions.You must withdraw all illegal, unjust and erroneous sanctions against the Iranian nation," said Rohani in a speech broadcast on state TV.
These sanctions were reinstated by Washington after its decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw from the international nuclear agreement reached in Iran in 2015 in Vienna.
For several months, the tension is growing between Tehran and Washington.
On Monday, at the conclusion of the G7 summit in France, the US president however hinted at a possible breakthrough in the Iranian crisis by judging realistic an upcoming meeting with Mr Rohani.
To the question: "Is it realistic that you meet Mr. Rohani in the coming weeks?", Donald Trump answered in the affirmative.
Mr Trump, who had flagrantly denounced the Iranian nuclear deal and has since exercised "maximum pressure" on Iran, nevertheless made a condition for such a meeting: that the "circumstances" be met.
In his televised statement, Rohani said that "the key to positive change" was "in the hands of Washington," because Iran has already ruled out doing the things the US is most worried about: of an atomic bomb ".
"If, honestly, this is your only concern, this has already been ruled out" by a fatwa issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he said.
"So, take the first step," said Rohani, who was attending the inauguration of a real estate project in Tehran.
© 2019 AFP