Iranian President Hassan Rouhani voiced on Friday a desire to hold regional dialogue to address solutions to crises, while also criticizing the United States’ “unilateral” decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal.
He made his remarks ahead of departing to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit where he is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of India and Pakistan.
“I will discuss with the leaders of these countries current issues related to the nuclear deal. Iran always believes in resolving complicated regional issues through political solutions,” he added.
He therefore called for regional conferences and expanding diplomacy “to reach safer and stronger ground.”
The US withdrawal from the nuclear pact in May has sparked heated discussions in Tehran.
In a stance supported by the president and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, some Iranian parties are advocating deepening economic ties with Europe in wake of the withdrawal in order to exert pressure on the US.
Other Iranian parties are, meanwhile, demanding deepening ties with China and Russia, a position shared by senior aide to the supreme leader Ali Akbar Velayati and military commander Yahya Safavi.
Rouhani’s departure to Shanghai coincided with Iran’s commemoration of “Jerusalem Day”.
Rallies held on the occasion were used to launch attacks against head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, and the government’s policy in striking the 2015 deal.
Local media reported that some demonstrators accused Salehi of “betraying Iran.”
Deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Hossein Salami vowed that his country will continue to develop ballistic missiles, adding: “We can raise our forces to a level that will deter our enemies from using threatening rhetoric.”
Commander of the IRGC Quds Force Qassem Soleimani, meanwhile, said that regional developments are falling in Iran’s favor, noting in this regard gains made by “Hezbollah” in Lebanon’s May parliamentary elections.
In Iraq, he stated that the May 12 polls will lead to the formation of a government that has leanings to Iran.
He then made indirect criticism at internal Iran powers that have opposed his strategy, saying: “Analysts should be addressing these victories. Why are some sides making baseless statements?”
Moreover, he said that demands by some nations for containing Tehran’s regional threats “will guarantee greater victories for Iran.”
