IRNA - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the US administration is seeking to isolate Iran but it will have to pay dearly for this.


'This is the first time that the US has conspired against the Iranian nation while it has no supporter except one or two small countries,' Rouhani said in an address to a group of Iranian nationals residing in Austria.

The Iranian president, heading a top level political and economic delegation arrived in Vienna Tuesday evening on the second leg of his tour of Europe which already took him to Switzerland.

Describing Iranian expatriates as the most important bridge connecting the Iranian nation to the outside world, Rouhani said the measures adopted by the US administration are against Iran and the whole Iranians.

'We are now under such conditions that we should have a stronger relationship with those countries that have traditionally had, and still have, good relations with Iran,' the Iranian president said.

Some European countries have had favorable relations with Iran under various conditions and their stands on the country, revolution and its ruling system have been more appropriate and more moderate (than other countries), Rouhani said, adding Switzerland and Austria are among this group of countries.

The Zionists and Americans have been trying to weaken or possibly cut off Iran's ties with other countries of the world including its neighbors and friendly states with the aim of isolating the Islamic Republic or in other words spreading Iran-phobia in the region and around the globe, he said.

The 11th Government, Rouhani said, has since the beginning tried to neutralize this policy and introduced Iran as an influential country of the region and world which, in the course of man's history and civilization, has played a key role in upholding and advancing science, knowledge, culture, literatures, trade and industry.

'In the current juncture of history, the new American leaders with their peculiar way of thinking consider themselves superior not only to Iran but also to the entire region, Muslims and basically all non-Americans...They have chosen a course quite opposite to international regulations and commitments. Their arguments are not confined to Iran nuclear deal alone, rather they have withdrawn from UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO. They hold the same attitude towards G7, the Palestinian nation and other Muslim countries,' Rouhani said.
Today, a group of people have come to power in the United States who have no respect for their country's agreements with other nations of the world and even with neighboring states, he said, adding 'Perhaps the Americans' new behaviors could have been understood if they had been limited to Iran, JCPOA or to a special group or section in Iran.'

'In the past, when the Americans wanted to conspire against the Iranian nation they could get the support of some other countries but this time only one or two small countries have supported the US. In the entire Europe, Asia and Africa, there are few countries that have approved of Trump's decision to leave the nuclear deal made between Iran and six world powers and endorsed by the UN Security Council,' he said.

'Today,' Rouhani said, 'We are in a such a position that all international organizations including the UN Security Council, European Union and majority of countries and nations are standing by the Islamic Republic. This situation will make any US confrontation with Iran very costly. The Islamic Republic is determined to neutralize all US plots as before because their stands are illogical, illegal and against international regulations and UNSC approvals.'

The Americans wrongly assume that if they put pressure on the Iranian people they will surrender to the language of force, threat and humiliation, Rouhani said, noting 'In the course of history no power has been able to make the Iranian nation surrender and all attempts to trample upon the rights of this nation have been doomed to fail.'

'During the 19800-88 imposed war, all intelligence services of regional states and many other countries including the United States were engaged in passing on all information on Iran to the Iraqis and Iraqi war planes after finishing their missions on Iranian territory and on their way back home sometimes had to land in some countries of the region...Equipment and money of Saudi Arabia and certain other Arab states were at the disposal of Saddam (Hussein). Mercenaries from at least 13 countries were present in the Iraqi army. At that time both East and West were taking Iraq' side. But the Iranian nation resisted, emerged victorious and punished the aggressor,' the Iranian president said.

President Rouhani also reiterated that Iranian expatriates living in Austria and other parts of the world can play an effective role in the transfer of technological know-how and attraction of foreign investments to the country.