Speaking on Tuesday evening, Tehran time, at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly through video conferencing, Hassan Rouhani stressed that life is hard under sanctions, but harder than that is life without independence.

He said: "Democracy is the sovereign right of a nation, and not the right of interference by an outsider—let alone a terrorist and interventionist outsider that remains captive to the illusions of 19 August 1953".

"Dignity and prosperity of our nation are essential for us; and they are attained through diplomacy relying on national will coupled with resilience. We are not a bargaining chip in U.S. elections and domestic policy, and any U.S. administration after the upcoming elections will have no choice but to surrender to the resilience of the Iranian nation".

Referring to Iran's historical and civilizational role as the axis of peace and stability, the harbinger of dialog and tolerance and the champion of the fight against occupation and extremism, Rouhani said: "Such a nation does not deserve sanctions. The response to peace is not war. The reward for combatting extremism is not assassination. The reaction to the choice of people through the ballot box in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon is not outside agitation and support for non-democratic processes and street riots". 

He continued: "The footage broadcast to the world concerning the treatment of an African American by the U.S. police is reminiscent of our own experience. We instantly recognize the feet kneeling on the neck as the feet of arrogance on the neck of independent nations. For decades, the valiant Iranian nation has paid a similar high price for its quest for freedom and liberation from domination and despotism".

"They accuse us—without any foundation—of trying to build nuclear weapons, and they impose sanctions on others under the pretext of nuclear proliferation. This is while they have the infamy of being the sole user of atomic bombs in the history of humanity; and while the only possessor of nuclear weapons in West Asia is running their non-proliferation theatre," said Rouhani. (ILKHA)