Tehran | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday he was “very happy” that Donald Trump is leaving the White House, notably describing the outgoing US president as a “tyrant” and “terrorist”.
Donald Trump, whose relations are very tense with Iran, in 2018 withdrew Washington from the agreement reached three years earlier with Tehran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, deeming it insufficient. He has since reinstated and then tightened sanctions against the Islamic Republic, amid tensions with his European allies who want to preserve the agreement. Iran and the United States have twice found themselves on the brink of war since June 2019.
“Some say you are excited for Mr. Biden (US President-elect Joe Biden). No, we are not, but we are very happy to see Trump go, ”he said during a televised cabinet.
“Thank goodness these are his last days,” he added, calling Trump a “tyrant”, “the most unruly and lawless president” and “terrorist and murderer.”
It “creates obstacles to prevent us from buying vaccines (against COVID-19), it is to say how much this person is deprived of all the ethical and human principles”, added Mr. Rohani.
Since the announcement of the victory of Mr. Biden in the US election on November 3, the government of Mr. Rouhani has increased the signs of openness vis-à-vis the former vice-president of Barack Obama, who expressed the wish to bring his country back to the Vienna agreement. Mr. Biden will take office on January 20.
Iran has been hit the hardest in the Middle East by the novel coronavirus pandemic and says US sanctions have prevented it from getting vaccines. In theory, food and medicine are exempt from US sanctions, but in reality international banks tend to refuse transactions involving Iran to avoid exposure to possible litigation.