Trump: Sanctions Will Not Be Lifted Until Iran Changes Its Behavior
The U.S. President said that as long as the Islamic Republic does not change its behavior, sanctions will not only not be lifted, but will be intensified.
Donald Trump, the U.S. President, said: “The authoritarian regime of the Islamic Republic is one of the greatest security threats against countries around the world.”
In his speech at the seventy-fourth session of the UN General Assembly, he said: “Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. They fuel the fires of war in Syria and Yemen, while simultaneously plundering Iran’s wealth to achieve nuclear weapons.”
He said that America will never allow this regime access to nuclear weapons, and that is exactly why he withdrew America from a bad deal.
He said: “After withdrawing from the nuclear agreement, we imposed severe economic sanctions against Iran. Iran showed a violent response, and in response to the attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, we imposed the most severe sanctions on Iran’s central bank.”
Trump had previously told journalists, emphasizing that he would speak about Iran in his speech, saying: “Very much is happening regarding Iran, much more than you know.”
The U.S. President’s speech came hours after the release of a joint statement by three European countries—Germany, Britain, and France—in which the Islamic Republic of Iran was explicitly held responsible for the attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
The United States welcomed the release of this statement.
Hassan Rouhani, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, criticized the statement and once again denied the Islamic Republic’s involvement in the attack. He met with Emmanuel Macron, the French President, the previous day.
Despite some speculation, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, ruled out any possibility of a meeting between Hassan Rouhani and Donald Trump hours earlier. The leaders of the Islamic Republic have made the lifting of all sanctions and the United States’ return to the JCPOA a condition for any meeting or negotiations.
Nevertheless, Trump said in his speech to the UN General Assembly: “As long as this Iranian behavior continues, sanctions will not only not be lifted, but will increase.”
The U.S. President said: “The Iranian government has achieved nothing but death and destruction.”
He said: “The leaders of the Islamic Republic seek their own despotism and interests, but the time has come for them to stop threatening others and instead prioritize the Iranian people.
Trump added: “America is ready for friendship with all countries that genuinely seek peace and friendship. America does not believe in eternal enemies; we seek partners, not rivals.”
He said: “But the leaders of the Islamic Republic chant ‘Death to America’ and call for the destruction of Israel. America will never tolerate such anti-Semitic sentiments. Fortunately, everyone in the Middle East has also realized that their common interest lies in fighting extremism.”
At the beginning of his remarks, Donald Trump, while pointing to his administration’s economic achievements over the past three years, also said his country has the world’s strongest military, but hopes it will never be forced to use it.
He also, in defense of his views and the “America First” slogan, said: “Globalism has no future. The future belongs to patriots. That is why we in America have launched a plan for the comprehensive reconstruction of the country.
Source: DW
