ROUHANI RIDICULES TRUMP
Iran to continue testing missiles, dubs Arab summit mere show
Iran’s newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Donald Trump’s summit with Arab leaders as “just a show” and insisting that missile tests will continue.
“Our missiles are for our defence and for peace, they are not offensive. Know that while there is a technical need to conduct missile tests, we will do so and we will ask the permission of no one,” Mr Rouhani told reporters in Tehran.
His comments followed fierce criticism from the US President during visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon — never ever — and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias,” Mr Trump said in Jerusalem.
Mr Rouhani, who defeated hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi in Friday’s presidential election, responded by ridiculing decades of US strategy in the Middle East.
“When they attacked Afghanistan, they made a mistake. When they attacked Iraq, they made a mistake. When they imposed sanctions on us, they made a mistake,” he said.
“If you know of a case where America acted correctly, you tell me.” He said the only sensible move by Washington was the nuclear deal it signed with Iran in 2015, when the US “talked with respect” and reached a “win-win result”.
“If American chooses another path, it will fail again. There is no doubt in this.”
Asked about Trump’s summit with Arab leaders on Sunday, Rouhani said it was “just a show with no practical or political value of any kind”. He said that it was Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq that had been leading the fight against ISIS.
Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon — never ever — and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias
— Donald Trump, US President