JCPOA Objective, Destroying Notorious Wall of Siege (Iran Review)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the main objective that Tehran was pursuing in signing the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries was to lift “the siege” that "ill-wishers" had imposed on the Islamic Republic.

"The ill-wishers of this nation had managed to lay a siege around us and the objective of the nuclear agreement was to destroy this 'notorious wall'," Rouhani said.

He was referring to Iran-P5+1 nuclear agreement dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Rouhani said the JCPOA implementation was the removal of "unjust" sanctions in order to provide "better livelihood" to Iranians.

Rouhani said before the agreement entered into force, even "friends and neighbors" of Iran refused to buy an extra barrel of oil or do business with Tehran.

"The JCPOA has created new conditions for us which we have to take advantage of," he added.

Rouhani said the country must take measures to wean the economy off petrodollars.

“Even if oil prices increase [in the future] we should not move towards dependence on oil revenues for running the country,” he said.

“We have to take steps towards giving up the dangerous addiction of the economy’s full dependence on oil,” said Rouhani.

The Iranian foreign minister also said Saudi Arabia must drop its hostile policies against the Islamic Republic.

“Saudi Arabia has been pursuing hostile policies against Iran. The Saudi government should reconsider its policies,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

He noted that Iran has never been looking for “tensions of any kind” with its neighbors, Saudi Arabia in particular.

Zarif further reiterated Iran's calls for “rational behavior” on the part of the Saudi government.

The Iranian minister also said the execution of prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr last month by the Saudi regime was unacceptable, adding that the religious scholar had not committed any act against Saudi national security.

He also said that the ensuing attack against the Saudi embassy in Tehran, which led to the severance of ties between Tehran and Riyadh, was “against our national security.” Iranian officials strongly condemned the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic missions, with over 100 people arrested.

“However, the Saudi policy has been hostile in this regard…We recommend Saudi Arabia to abandon haste wrath and opt for wisdom,” said Zarif.

Zarif referred to ongoing peace talks in Geneva on Syria, saying “terrorists” and those aiding “extremist” groups in the Arab country must not be allowed to join the negotiations.

“Such action will discredit the UN and the talks,” he warned.

The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated Tehran’s position that no external factor could decide for the future of Syria.

“Those who had laid out preconditions for negotiations in Syria caused war and bloodletting,” Zarif said.