Rouhani: No One Can Unilaterally Renegotiate the Nuclear Agreement

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in an interview with NBC News in the United States, responded to criticisms of the nuclear agreement with Iran during the U.S. election campaign, stating, "No individual here or there can say I do not accept this agreement." In the interview on September 21, which is set to be published in full, he added, "Candidates [in the U.S. elections] can choose any topic that suits their campaign." He further stated, "No one can say here and there that I do not accept this agreement, I want to renegotiate." The U.S. elections are ongoing between two main rivals from the Republican Party; Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump, along with all Republican representatives in the U.S. Congress, has either opposed the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers or expressed dissatisfaction and criticism regarding the negotiation process and its outcomes. Trump himself stated during his campaign that if he reaches the presidency, his main priority will be to cancel the agreement. However, Hillary Clinton claims to adhere to this agreement and will closely monitor Iran's compliance with it. According to NBC, Rouhani rejected criticisms of the nuclear agreement, especially those expressed by Trump, stating that no country or president can unilaterally cancel the nuclear agreement, as seven countries and the United Nations support it, and the International Atomic Energy Agency is also overseeing its implementation. In another part of his interview, Rouhani reiterated recent criticisms within the country regarding the implementation of the nuclear agreement. He accused the U.S. Treasury Department of making trade difficult for banks and financial institutions with Iran. According to him, Iran has no intention of building a nuclear bomb after eight years and the end of the agreement. The implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers has been a topic of debate over the past year, both in the U.S. and in Iran. The negotiating countries with Iran continue to say that Tehran is adhering to its commitments. On the other hand, Iran claims that its expectations regarding the speed of returning to global markets and cooperation with international financial institutions have not been met. The U.S. government claims otherwise; Barack Obama, the President of the United States, emphasized last month that the U.S. and world powers have fulfilled all their commitments to lift sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. In the U.S. itself, some government critics have accused the White House of being overly flexible towards Tehran and the nuclear agreement. However, the lifted U.S. sanctions only pertain to nuclear sanctions, while other strictures and sanctions regarding allegations of human rights violations, "state-sponsored terrorism," and ballistic missile development continue. Iran has denied the accusation of supporting terrorism and claims its missile program is defensive. Tehran has recently announced its willingness to engage in discussions with the European Union on human rights issues.