Iranian President: US Not Able to Keep Sanctions Forever

“Certainly, the present circumstances will end and the US will sooner or later be forced to relinquish maximum pressure against Iran before or after the presidential election in the US,” Rouhani said in a meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Tehran on Monday.

He added that under the current conditions that the US has imposed unilateral sanctions against other countries, Iran and India should endeavor to protect their ties and cooperation intact and unaffected.

“Iran is after decreasing tensions and establishing and maintaining sustainable security in the region, specially the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman,” Rouhani said.

Jaishankar, for his part, underscored the need for maintenance and development of relations and cooperation between the two countries in different fields, specially in trade and economic areas.

Jaishankar arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials on bilateral ties and regional issues.

In a relevant development in September, President Rouhani, in meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referred to the long history of relations between the two countries, and called for the development of bilateral relations in areas of science, economy and research.

During the meeting on the sidelines of 74th UN General Assembly in New York, President Rouhani and Premier Modi exchanged views on bilateral ties.

Pointing to bilateral ties, Rouhani said “As a very important Asian country, India has had long-standing relations with Iran,” adding, “In this regard, we can develop our relations in scientific, research and economic fields between the two countries.”

On the two countries’ efforts to overcome the recent obstacles on the way of banking and energy relations, he appreciated India’s investment in developing the first phase of Chabahar Port, saying, “Today, Iran, India and Afghanistan are enjoying the advantages of this important project, and the region’s current and future generations will benefit from it.”