Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected parliament’s pursuit of a new law that includes increasing uranium enrichment, due to its “negative impact on the diplomatic track,” and announced at the same time that, starting next year, Saudi money and Israeli pressure will not be able to harm the Iranian economy.

The Iranian president said today, Wednesday, that he opposes the moves of his country's parliament to pass a law that includes increasing the percentage of uranium enrichment to 20% "due to its negative impact on the diplomatic path."

This position came after the Iranian parliament approved, on Tuesday, the general framework for a draft resolution on canceling sanctions and ensuring national interests.

The draft resolution includes 9 items, including a request for the Iranian government to backtrack on some of its obligations in the nuclear deal, and to cancel the additional protocol to the agreement in the event that Iran's interests do not materialize it and European countries do not fulfill their obligations.

Rouhani added during the cabinet meeting that the United States had failed in its economic war against his country, and that next year would witness the end of the US policy of maximum pressure against his country.

"Before Trump reached the White House, some of them were against the nuclear agreement. The extremists in America, Israel and reactionary countries in the region also wanted to thwart the agreement, and they did everything in their power to achieve it," he said.

He added that Saudi money and Israeli pressure prompted Trump to withdraw from the agreement, "but during the next year we will witness the failure of the maximum pressure policy and the end of the American economic war."

Creating the atmosphere


The statements of Rouhani and his government officials indicate Tehran's keenness to create the atmosphere for an understanding with US President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20.

And today, Wednesday, a spokesman for the Guardian Council in Iran, Abbas Khaddaei, said that the council objected to the bill that Parliament is seeking to pass.

Kadkhdaei stated that the text had been returned to Parliament for re-examination and discussion of its problems.

He explained that the council objected to the sixth item of the decision, related to the suspension of the additional protocol and the one-month deadline to stop it if the European parties did not abide by their obligations.

For his part, a member of the Iranian Parliament Presidency, Ahmed Amirabadi, said that the Guardian Council has sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament declaring his objection to the law, and demanding clarification of the relationship of this clause with the Iranian National Security Council.

Earlier, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said that the government opposes stopping the implementation of the additional protocol of the NPT, because stopping it will not contribute to lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran.

He added that taking any decision on the nuclear deal is the prerogative of the Iranian National Security Council.

He said, "Parliament's request to stockpile of uranium enriched to 20% and cancel the implementation of the additional protocol will not lead to the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran, but will lead to the imposition of sanctions permanently."