Rouhani: JCPOA aimed At Lifting Enemy- Imposed ‘Siege’ on Iran

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the main objective that Tehran was pursuing in signing the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries was to lift “the siege” that “ill-wishers” had imposed on the Islamic Republic.  

“The ill-wishers of this nation had managed to lay a siege around us and the objective [of the nuclear agreement] was to destroy this ‘notorious wall’,” Rouhani said in a live televised interview.

He was referring to Iran-P5+1 nuclear agreement dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Rouhani said the JCPOA implementation was the removal of “unjust” sanctions in order to provide “better livelihood” to Iranians.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started to implement the JCPOA on January 16.

After JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran in return has put some limitations on its nuclear activities. The nuclear agreement was signed on July 14, 2015 following two and a half years of intensive talks.

Rouhani said before the agreement entered into force, even “friends and neighbors” of Iran refused to buy an extra barrel of oil or do business with Tehran.

“The JCPOA has created new conditions for us which we have to take advantage of,” he added.

As a result of the implementation of the agreement, the Iranian president embarked on a four-day tour of Europe on January 25 and visited Italy, the Vatican and France.

The visits to the European capitals have been touted as a major move by Iran to revive its past business ties with European countries. During Rouhani’s stay in Italy, the two countries signed major contracts worth up to 17 billion euros (USD 18.4 billion).  Similar contracts were also signed between Tehran and Paris.

Rouhani said the country must take measures to wean the economy off petrodollars.

“Even if oil prices increase [in the future] we should not move towards dependence on oil revenues for running the country,” he said.

Oil prices have fallen to below $30, experiencing a 70% slump since mid-2015.

“We have to take steps towards giving up the dangerous addiction of the economy’s full dependence on oil,” said Rouhani.  

PRESS T.V

R.S