In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, Iran鈥檚 President Hassan Rouhani gestures to the crowd of supporters during a public meeting in northern city of Lahijan, Iran, Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Rouhani says there鈥檚 no chance of negotiations or compromise with the United States, because Washington allegedly is seeking to topple the government in Tehran. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
TEHRAN, Iran 鈥� Iran鈥檚 president said Wednesday there was no chance of negotiations or compromise with the United States because Washington is allegedly seeking to topple the government in Tehran.
In a televised speech, Hassan Rouhani said 鈥渢he United States says Iran should change鈥� back to the way the country was before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when it was ruled by a U.S.-supported monarchy.
鈥淲e say we won鈥檛 go back,鈥� Rouhani said at a gathering in the northern city of Lahijan.
He said the differences between Iran and the U.S. are so wide, they are 鈥渘either negotiable nor can there be a compromise.鈥�
The Trump administration has taken a hard line on Iran but insists the U.S. is not trying to overthrow the government.
However, tensions between the two countries have been heightened after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last year and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, which have particularly hurt Iran鈥檚 vital oil industry.
Rouhani said his country is in an economic war because of these U.S. sanctions, and that giving in to U.S. demands means 鈥渓osing all historical achievements鈥� including freedom, independence and democracy.
鈥淲e should push the enemy back,鈥� he said.
The U.S. said it wants Iran to radically change its policy and stop supporting regional militant groups, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, as well as halt its development of long-range ballistic missiles. /kga