Rouhani says US faces defeat in bid to reimpose UN sanctions

The United States faces defeat in its move to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, as Washington declared all U.N. sanctions on Iran had been restored.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday warned the US it faces defeat after the Trump administration declared that UN sanctions are back in force against the Islamic Republic, a move rejected by other world powers.

“America is approaching a certain defeat in its sanctions move … It faced defeat and negative response from the international community. We will never yield to US pressure and Iran will give a crushing response to America’s bullying,” Rouhani said during a televised cabinet meeting, according to Reuters.

He added: “America’s maximum pressure against Iran, in its political and legal aspects, has turned into America’s maximum isolation.”

“The United States is very, very isolated in its claims,” ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. “The whole world is saying nothing has changed.”

The comments came after the Trump administration announced the so-called “snapback” of the sanctions was in effect and threatened to “impose consequences” on any UN member state that fails to comply.

The sanctions in question were lifted in 2015 when Iran and six world powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US — reached a landmark nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

But US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, saying the deal — negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama — was insufficient. He also renewed and even strengthened Washington’s own sanctions.

The US insists it is still a participant in the agreement that it stormed out of, but only so it can activate the snapback option, which it announced on August 20.