Saudi Arabia started its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 – without a some journalists.
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Because Iran has reached a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers, Rouhani said, there is no reason for the U.S.to hold prisoners who were arrested for violating the sanctions that are now being lifted.
He said the deal, finalized in July, marked a “new chapter” in Iran’s dealings with the world, so his swipe at the United States was striking. “It was very specific, the things that they spoke of”.
“Amid all these incidents, the JCPOA (Iran’s nuclear agreement with the P5+1) was a hope”, said the president. In several public appearances, Rouhani appeared to double down on support for the Syrian regime, arguing that combatting terrorism – in particular the group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS) – must be the world’s No. 1 priority.
There was no immediate reaction to Rouhani’s remarks from the State Department, which lists Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Rouhani planned to fly back to Tehran immediately after finishing his UN speech, canceling a news conference scheduled for Tuesday. In March of this year, Iran again went before the UN Human Rights Council, where Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on Iran, noted that conditions in Iran are deteriorating, despite Rouhani’s pledges to make improvements.
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He said Iran had set policies based on a balanced approach between economic development and environmental protection. “Or in other words, we choose the lesser of two evils”.
