Speaking to his advisers, Rouhani argued that Europe has no legal, political, or moral grounds to pursue the measure.
“The Europeans failed to honor their 11 commitments under the JCPOA. They cannot now accuse Iran of noncompliance,” he said, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Rouhani also dismissed critics inside Iran who opposed the JCPOA.
“Those who called the resolutions just scraps of paper, and those who burned the agreement in parliament, should remain silent now. If we had abandoned the deal when the US did, all sanctions would have immediately returned in 2018,” he noted.
While acknowledging that renewed UN sanctions may not add significant economic pressure beyond US measures, Rouhani emphasized their political and legal weight.
He urged continued diplomacy to prevent escalation: “There is still time to negotiate with the three European countries or the 4+1. This is in the interest of Iran, Europe, the NPT, and the world.”
