Tehran sets its conditions. Iranian President Hassan Rohani on Tuesday (August 27th) called on the United States to "take the first step in lifting all sanctions" against his country, in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's declaration that a forthcoming 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," Hassan Rohani said 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.
"Maximum pressure"
Monday, at the conclusion of the G7 summit in France, the US president, however, hinted at a possible breakthrough in the crisis in Iran by judging realistic an upcoming meeting with Hassan Rohani.
To the question: "Is it realistic that you meet Hassan Rohani in the coming weeks?", Donald Trump answered in the affirmative.
Donald Trump, who had loudly 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 the hands of Washington
In his televised statement, Hassan Rohani said "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: '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 Hassan Rohani, who was attending the inauguration of a real estate project in Tehran.
With AFP