Iranian President Rouhani slams Trump speech, calling it “hateful rhetoric”

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Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, spoke out against Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling his United Nations speech “ignorant, absurd, and hateful rhetoric.”

Focusing on the nuclear deal agreed with other countries in 2015 that was signed by Iran and six other world powers, Rouhani said the deal could become “a new model for international relations”.

He responded to Trump’s comments who said: “Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States,” he said.

“I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it – believe me.”

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The Iranian President said: “Iran will not be the first country to violate the agreement,” he said. “But it will respond decisively and resolutely to its violation by any party.”

“We never threaten anyone but we do not tolerate threats from anyone.” he added.

In Trump’s speech, to the United Nations general assembly, he also threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea. 

“The US has great strength and patience,” Trump said. “If it is forced to defend ourselves or our allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”

Moving on to Iran, the US President said: “The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most,”

He added that the population of Iran would have to choose between “the path of poverty, bloodshed and terror” and their country’s “proud roots as a centre of civilisation, culture, and wealth”.

UK, France, Germany, Russia and China, who are the other members of the agreement, have said that Iran will stick to its obligations. They have urged the US not to leave the deal that the Obama administration signed.

Boris Johnson, told the Guardian: “We are continually urging the Americans not to tear it up.”