Alwaght- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic will never hold negotiations either about its defensive missile program nor the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal.
Speaking at an international press conference in Tehran on Tuesday President Rouhani expressed the Islamic Republic's firm determination to "develop and strengthen" its defensive capabilities and whatever is required for defense, including missiles and submarines.
He reiterated that Iran has never sought and would never intend to produce weapons of mass destruction. Iran would only produce "conventional weapons" needed for defensive purposes and would "hold no negotiations with anyone in this regard," Rouhani said.
President Rouhani also reiterated that the Islamic Republic will never hold negotiations about the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement.
"We never regard other issues linked to the JCPOA (the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). The JCPOA is a seven-sided agreement…The JCPOA is an international agreement which has been endorsed by the Security Council Resolution 2231," Rouhani said.
He added that the JCPOA was such a solid agreement that US President Donald Trump has failed to fulfill his presidential campaign promise to tear it up since he took office some one year ago.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.
Rouhani also urged the United States to stop its pressure, sanctions and threats against Iran and said Washington holds the key to its potential relations with Tehran.
"I believe that there is no doubt that the US seeks to create problems for the Iranian nation or government," the Iranian chief executive said.
He added that the US turned the recent protests in Iran into a political and security issue and referred it to the UN Security Council.
It was the "first disgraceful defeat" of the current US administration after all countries in the Security Council opposed its representative's remarks, he noted.
