Rouhani: U.S. sanctions are ‘crime against humanity’

Partial suspension of nuclear commitments is Iran’s least reaction

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the U.S. sanctions against Iran constitute examples of “crime against humanity and economic terrorism” because they have targeted ordinary people’s “lives and needs”.

“It should not be said that the U.S. has imposed sanctions on us, because they are not sanctions. They are crime against humanity. They could be called sanctions if they targeted some of our sensitive industries, but they are crime against humanity and economic terrorism when they target the people’s lives and needs,” he said in a cabinet meeting.

He said that Iran’s partial withdrawal from implementing its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is within the framework of the deal.

“All are on the belief that Iran has practiced strategic patience and logic and its actions have been based on international law and its latest action in reducing its commitments is based on terms 26 and 36 of the JCPOA,” he said.

Pointing to 60-day deadline set by Iran to keep the JCPOA, he said that after the deadline the country will take further actions.

“We act based on law and within the framework of regulations and we will take new actions after 60 days which started on May 8 if our demands are not met. However, if they fulfil their commitments within the 60 days, everything will return to previous state and there will be no problem,” Rouhani stated.

He noted, “Despite what certain other countries say, what we are doing is the least we could do.”

On May 8, Iran announced a partial withdrawal from some aspects of the pact, saying that the country would no longer adhere to some of the limits on its nuclear activities. It also threatened to step up uranium enrichment if an agreement is not made within 60 days to shield it from the sanctions’ effects.

Behrooz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), announced on Monday that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium will exceed 300 kilograms by June 27.

‘U.S. has been defeated in its policy against Iran’

 Rouhani also said that the U.S. policy of exerting pressure against Iran has been defeated.

“Today, nobody doubts that the U.S. anti-Iran plots, which began last year with the sanctions aiming at making people disappointed about the system, has completely failed,” he said.

He noted that the U.S. sought to isolate Iran, however, it failed and made itself insolated.

Rouhani said U.S. officials have admitted the failure of policies against Iran. “In their important meetings with world leaders, the Americans have admitted to failure.”

He added, “Even the U.S. president has told a world leader that it is Bolton [U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton] who is doing all these and we thought that if we put pressure on Iran, we can bring it to its knees, but now he has understood that he was wrong.”