Iran says US wants to overthrow govt

UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after US President Donald Trump denounced Iran’s leaders and predicted stepped-up US sanctions would get Teheran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating the rules of international law by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and five other major powers.

“On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this?” Rouhani asked. “It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks.”

Rouhani invited the US to come back to negotiations within the UN Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal. There, he said, both sides can listen to each other.

He also blasted the US-led sanctions against his country as “economic terrorism”. “World security is under threat by some states’ recklessness and disregard of international values and institutions,” he said.

In remarks released while Rouhani was still talking, US National Security Adviser John Bolton doubled down on the decision to withdraw from the deal, calling it “the worst diplomatic debacle in American history”.

He echoed Trump’s strong language and used blunt words to dismiss any entreaties from Teheran.

“According to the mullahs in Teheran, we are ‘the Great Satan’, lord of the underworld, master of the raging inferno,” Bolton said.

‘Legal entity’

Foreign ministers from the five remaining signatories to the nuclear deal — Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany — agreed at a meeting with Iran’s foreign minister on Monday to establish a financial mechanism in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iranian imports and exports including oil. The move was sought by Teheran to counter US sanctions.

After talks on Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the Europeans would set up a “legal entity” for businesses to transfer money without coming under Washington’s scanner.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was “disturbed and indeed deeply disappointed” by the EU announcement.