Rouhani asks Europe to cooperate with Iran to counter US unilateralism

President Hassan Rouhani has warned about the dangers posed by Washington’s unilateralism to the world, urging European countries to work with Iran to counter the US.

In a Thursday opinion piece published by the Financial Times, Rouhani lashed out at Washington for its foreign policy over the past two years, saying that the US administration’s policies have emerged as a new and complicated problem for the world.

He took a jab at the US for “complicity in the daily atrocities in Yemen,” for the “humiliation and gradual perishing of the great nation of Palestine,” and for the support it offers to such criminal groups as Daesh, saying such policies have exacerbated the problems in the region.

“More broadly, US President Donald Trump’s approach to matters of trade, international treaties and the humiliating manner in which he treats even America’s allies, illustrates how US foreign policy has posed new challenges to the global order,” he said.

“In brief, the US administration’s policies of unilateralism, racial discrimination, Islamophobia, and the undermining of important international treaties, including the Paris Climate Accord, are fundamentally incompatible with multilateralism and other socio-political norms valued by Europe,” the president added. 

Rouhani pointed to the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal as the other critical matter aggravating transatlantic relations.

“Unfortunately, the US, through raising unfounded claims and in complete disregard for its international obligations, has abandoned the nuclear agreement and imposed extraterritorial and unilateral sanctions on Iran and, by extension, other countries,” he said, blasting the US for threatening others who seek to abide by a UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal.

Rouhani praised the “valuable” support expressed by the remaining JCPOA parties since Trump’s withdrawal, but at the same time noted that the European parties as well as Russia and China still need to “present and implement their final proposed package of measures to compensate for and mitigate the effects of America’s newest unilateral and extraterritorial sanctions before they are imposed.”

PressTV-‘Europe’s will to save Iran deal must translate into action’

Iran’s foreign minister hails Europeans’ efforts to save the 2015 nuclear deal, but says they need to turn their political will into action.

“The nuclear deal demonstrated that Iran is committed to reason and dialogue,” he said, adding that it can only survive if the Iranian people can witness and enjoy the benefits it promised.

“In today’s tumultuous world, the only way to overcome difficulties is through concerted international efforts based on mutual interests, and not the short-sighted demands of one or a few states,” the Iranian chief executive noted, adding that “unilateralism is fatal, while multilateralism is the only appropriate, inexpensive and effective course of action.”

“Europe’s tradition of multilateralism positions it well to play an important role in reinforcing peace and stability in line with its identity and interests. Iran believes in multilateralism and is prepared to join other peace-loving nations in this path,” Rouhani noted.

He also vowed that cooperation between Iran and Europe will secure the long-term interests of both parties and ensure international peace and stability.

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