Iranian president says he won’t abandon nuclear deal

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized U.S. lawmakers Sunday for, in his view, undermining a nuclear agreement but said Tehran had no intention of abandoning the deal.

In a speech to parliament, Rouhani slammed a Senate vote last week to extend for 10 years a longstanding package of trade, energy, defense and banking sanctions against Iran.

The unilateral U.S. restrictions were not rescinded by the agreement that Iran signed last year with six world powers including the United States to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.

Rouhani delivered an endorsement of the nuclear deal, a signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration that is under fire both from Iranian hard-liners and from President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to “dismantle” it.

The moderate president’s speech was aimed mainly at pacifying hardline domestic critics who say the nuclear accord has not delivered the economic benefits he promised. Iran’s economy continues to struggle nearly one year after restrictions on oil sales and other international trade were lifted.

“The benefits of the nuclear deal are clear for everybody,” Rouhani said. “We can now, under the nuclear deal, export as much oil as possible. International transportation and shipping are much less inexpensive, and many trade and foreign investment contracts and agreements have been signed.”

The Senate voted 99-0 Thursday to extend the Iran Sanctions Act for 10 years. The White House has said President Barack Obama opposes the extension of the law but will not veto it.

Iranian media reported Sunday that 145 lawmakers signed a petition to boycott all American-made products. If enacted, it could imperil a reported $25 billion agreement with Boeing to upgrade Iran’s passenger airline fleet.

When Rouhani said a committee of Iran’s national security council would issue a report on implementation of the nuclear deal, chants of “Death to America!” echoed through the chamber.

CHRISTOPHE MORIN /BLOOMBERG Iran’s Hassan Rouhani says the nuclear deal’s benefits “are clear for everybody.”