US to regret for re-imposing sanctions: Rouhani

Iran President Hassan Rouhani has said that the Iranians would make the US regret for re-imposing sanctions against the Islamic republic.

"Through unity and solidarity, the Iranians will weather away the return of sanctions," Rouhani said on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"(US President) Donald Trump will learn that these kinds of pressures did not surrender Iranians in the past and will never do so in the future."

Rouhani also said that the US administration "is not trustworthy for any negotiations" after its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.

"Talks need honesty," the Iranian president said in a televised speech on Monday, urging the US to prove its will to solve problems through negotiations.

"Negotiations with sanctions don't make sense," he stressed, noting that Trump's recent call for direct talks with Iran was only aimed at creating division in the country.

The White House said in a statement on Monday that the US will activate on Tuesday a slew of sanctions on Iran's financial and industrial sectors.

The action will bring US sanctions against Iran to the level on par with those prior to the major multilateral nuclear deal reached in 2015.

US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on May 8 while other signatories vowed to remain committed to it.

The first batch of sanctions, which will take effect on Tuesday, target Tehran's purchase of US banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, coal, aluminium and steel in industrial processes.

They also affect transactions related to the Iranian Rial, the issuance of sovereign debts, and the country's automotive sector.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled in November, will be on Iran's port, energy and shipping sectors, its petroleum-related transactions, and foreign transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, according to the statement.

--IANS

pgh/