TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that Iran was “very happy”over the looming departure from office of US counterpart Donald Trump, wholed a campaign of “maximum pressure” against the Islamic republic.
President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump at the ballot box inNovember, has signalled a willingness to return to diplomacy with Iranafter four tense years under the outgoing president.
“Some say you are overexcited by the advent of Mr. Biden. No, we are not,but we are very happy to see Trump leave,” he said in televised comments ata cabinet meeting.
“Thank God, these are his final days,” Rouhani added, calling Trump a”tyrant”, “the most unruly, lawless president” and a “terrorist andmurderer.”
The electoral college confirmed Biden as the next US president on Mondayeven as the incumbent continues to refuse to accept defeat.
The formal handover of power will take place on January 20 when Biden issworn in.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington soared during Trumps presidency ashis administration sought to bring Israel and the Gulf Arab states closertogether with a hard line against Iran.
In 2018, Trump pulled Washington out of a landmark nuclear deal with Tehranand reimposed punishing unilateral sanctions.
This January, Trump ordered an air strike near Baghdad airport which killedsenior Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and drew retaliatory Iranian strikestargeting US troops in Iraq.
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Trump “creates obstacles for us purchasing (Covid-19) vaccines, (that is)how much this person is bereft of all ethical and human principles,”Rouhani said.
Iran is the Middle Eastern country hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemicwith 52,670 deaths from more than 1.1 million cases, according to officialfigures.
Vaccines and other humanitarian goods are supposed to be exempt from USsanctions but in practice few if any banks are willing to risk processingIranian transactions for fear of incurring heavy penalties in the US courts.
Since Bidens victory, Rouhanis government has repeatedly signalled itsopenness to the incoming US administration, although Irans supreme leaderhas cautioned against hopes of an opening with the West.
Rouhani said the outcome of the US election showed the American peoplesdesire for a “law-abiding” president and called on the Biden administrationto live up to the expectation.
“If it wants to be on the correct path, its there, and if it wants thewrong one, its also there,” he said. -APP/AFP
