29 May, 2017
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help, responding to criticism of the Islamic Republic from US President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.
This is not to say that the Iranian people are in favour of Rouhani, a man who executed almost 4,000 people in just four years, boasts about Iran's support for the dictator Bashar al-Assad, and now presides over an Iran where millions live in poverty; just that Khamenei felt that Raisi would cause the biggest protests.
The 68-year old re-elected President also picked on Washington arguing that it failed in all its attempts to isolate Iran. Trump may be trying to show his tone has changed and that he's ready to partner with Middle Eastern countries to fight terrorism.
"The Americans do not know our region, that's what the catch is", he said.
After the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City, the United States waged wars that destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan, helping to destabilize the region.
"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region", the USA president said.
Iran held its presidential election on Friday, and President Hassan Rouhani was reelected by a wide margin over his main challenger, conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi. "I hope it can settle so that we can have a better judgement about those in Washington", said Rouhani."Who fought against the terrorists?"."The Trump administration is focused on materially enhancing the quality of life and the economy for the Palestinians", said Michael Oren, a parliament member and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., who now serves as an adviser at the prime minister's office. "In Syria, they made mistakes, and also in Yemen".
"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all ..." Trump had already elevated Tehran's ire by speaking from Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional archrival across the great Shia-Sunni divide.
Iran's hardline Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Saudi Arabia's rulers faced "certain downfall" for aligning themselves with the U.S., hours after the country's pragmatist president called for improved ties with Gulf states.
"We should bring peace and stability back to the region".
"The Iranian nation has made a decision to be powerful".
On Monday, Rouhani said that Iran would continue test of its missiles anytime if there was a "technical need", and it would not seek the permission of any other country to do so. Iran announced some terms of the new investor contract at a November 2015 conference in Tehran, and it targeted signing the first deals in March or April of 2016. Even so, global investors "are still anxious about remaining US sanctions and possible future sanctions that could target Iran's missile program", she said by email.
