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(Reuters) – The United States is calling for a "regime change" in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday, adding that the current US administration was the most hostile to which the Islamic Republic has been confronted.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have increased following the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump from a multilateral agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in May.
"In the last 40 years, there has been no wiser team than the current US government team against Iran, the Iranians and the Islamic Republic," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast on national television. .
"There was a time when there was a person who was hostile, the others were moderate, now … the worst ones have come together," he said in a speech marking the beginning of the academic year at the University of Tehran.
Rouhani accused Americans of using psychological and economic warfare and questioning the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic.
"Their ultimate goal is to reduce the legitimacy of the system.When they say get rid of, regime change in their own words, how does a regime change occur by reducing legitimacy, otherwise a regime does not change,"
He used the English expression "regime change" to emphasize his point.
Washington has reintroduced measures against the currency trade, metals and auto industries in Iran in August.
While US restrictions on Iranian oil exports come into effect next month, some Iranians fear that their country is entering an economic slump that could turn out worse than between 2012 and 2015, the year when it had faces heavy penalties.
Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri downplayed the impact of the planned restrictions. Iran has been able to find new partners to buy its oil, even though some countries have stopped their purchases, Jahangiri said Sunday, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran's Radio show (IRIB).
"America will certainly not be able to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero," he said.
"America thinks that Saudi Arabia can replace this oil.But at present, Iranian oil has reached more than 80 dollars and with half of previous exports, we will have the same income than before, "he added.
