Tasnim � Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described the Parliament�s move to summon President Hassan Rouhani for a series of questions and the president�s calm responses as a demonstration of the Islamic Republic�s power, stability and religious democracy.

In a meeting with the Iranian president and his cabinet members on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the presence of Rouhani at the Parliament on Tuesday demonstrated the Islamic Republic of Iran�s might and stability.

Praising the president and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani for their joint display of Iran�s power, the Leader added, �The Parliament members question a president who has been elected with more than 23 million votes, and the president also answers the questions in a calm and dignified manner, and this means religious democracy.�

Although the lawmakers� expectations do not match the realities on the ground, what happened at the Parliament was a �magnificent demonstration of the Islamic Republic�s power and self-confidence of the officials,� the Leader said.

On Tuesday, Rouhani and his ministers appeared before the Parliament to answer questions on the administration�s performance in the wake of declining value of the country�s currency and rising unemployment. During the session, both the president and the Parliament speaker highlighted close interaction among the Iranian bodies against the enemies.

Elsewhere in the Wednesday meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the country�s talks with Europeans on saving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, stressing that while the contacts and negotiations with Europe are underway, the administration should not pin hopes on Europe for survival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or boosting Iran�s economy.

Describing the JCPOA as an instrument for protecting Iran�s national interests, the Leader underscored that if Iran comes to the conclusion that such a tool would not preserve the national interests, it will abandon the deal.

The words and deeds of the Iranian administration�s officials should make the Europeans realize that �their measures will draw the Islamic Republic of Iran�s proportionate plans and reaction,� the Leader underlined.

Ayatollah Khamenei once again rejected any negotiations with the US, saying talks with the impudent American officials who are brazenly showing hostility to the Iranian nation will not take place at any level.

Ayatollah Khamenei further offered guidelines for fixing the country�s economy, calling on the economic officials to improve the quality and quantity of their unwavering efforts on the basis of the Resistance Economy grand plan and by focusing on local production.

The Leader also pointed to the administration�s appropriate measures over the past year for economic growth, increasing non-oil exports, and reduction of imports, urging efforts to prevent the closure of factories, remove the obstacles to business activities, and fight against corruption.

In comments in July, Ayatollah Khamenei had stressed the need for Europe to guarantee Iran�s economic benefits under the JCPOA, but underscored that the country�s economy should not hinge on the fate of the nuclear deal.

The Leader called for a �road map to stable economy� in order to resolve the economic woes, urging the administration to bolster the private sector and take strong punitive action against wrongdoers and that saying offenders in any position must be brought to justice.