Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded Saturday to Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei's criticism for neglecting his recommendation on implementing the nuclear deal between Iran and six nations.
Rouhani said that his government is the main reason behind Iran's commitment to the nuclear deal, considering this an achievement by the government.
If it wasn’t for the government, Iran would have breached the nuclear deal, he added, boasting that his government’s performance prevented Iran's condemnation, while other countries slammed the US for exiting the deal.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and reimposed US sanctions because of Iran's regional role and its development of ballistic missiles.
Rouhani abstained from commenting further on Khamenei's criticism because it wasn't in Iran's interest.
Again, Rouhani showed readiness to turn to the Iranians to settle major disputes including the nuclear deal.
During his meeting with representatives from Iranian media, Rouhani said he proposed a referendum, on the nuclear issue to Khamenei back in 2004 while negotiating the nuclear deal. "Article 59 of the Constitution (referendum) is a deadlock breaker and could be a problem-solver at any junction," Rouhani said.
Article 59 stipulates that a referendum shall be held to settle any critical topic in the country. Iran hasn’t carried out any referendum for 30 years since the constitutional amendment endorsed by Khamenei.
Rouhani stated Saturday that the country is experiencing tough circumstances, but the government is seeking to prevent things from aggravating.
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