Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expected Thursday that the sanctions would impose severe pressure on the Iranians.
For the second consecutive day, Rouhani called on Iranians to renounce internal differences and stand up against the US sanctions.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the opening of a refinery in the south of the country, a day following the speech in which he announced that he is not willing to resign or declare the government to step down.
“If anyone thinks the administration will resign, they are mistaken,” Rouhani said during a speech on Wednesday at a meeting of administration officials.
Rouhani has been facing a number of economic troubles at home as 107 parliamentarians signed a letter urging the president to change his economic team, and 70 parliamentarians signed a letter asking the Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani to question Rouhani about the economy, specifically the exchange rate.
Rouhani stressed the need to work with parliament and other officials, saying, “We have to show the world that we can tolerate the difficulties and the problems, and we will not trade away our independence, we will not trade away our freedom, we will not trade away our Islamic system, but we will tolerate the difficulties, standing alongside one another.”
Conservative newspapers responded Thursday to three scenarios proposed by Rouhani for internal parties to reach an internal agreement on dealing with US administration policies, particularly the return of nuclear sanctions and its withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
The first option is to submit to the United States and do exactly as the Donald Trump administration demands. The second option is to stand up to the USA but continue domestic quarrels, and the third option is to stand up to the USA, protect “our honor and bring America to its knees.”
For instance, the IRGC mouthpiece, Javan newspaper, welcomed the "third option" without commenting on the Iranian president's refusal to resign or change his government team.
While Chief Director of the Revolutionary Guards' economic arm, Khatam al-Anbia, Abadullah Abdullahi said that "Iran can overcome the current situation with conciliation and cooperation," expressing the readiness of his forces to cooperate with the Iranian government in the economic field.
