Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Washington is the biggest obstacle to post-sanctions business relations with Tehran and said the U.S. needs “more sensible people” in Congress.
Asked whether U.S. investors would be welcome in the Islamic Republic now that economic sanctions have been relieved under the nuclear deal, Mr. Rouhani told Bloomberg Business: “If they want to come to Iran and do business in Iran, we have no problem with that,” adding that Washington “holds the key to better relations with Iran.
“The U.S. should stop putting pressure on Iran. They have not learned that the era of sanctions is over,” he continued. “We hope we will get more sensible people in Congress.”
Mr. Rouhani argued that U.S. lawmakers need to soften their rhetoric toward Iran to improve business relations between Tehran and the West.
“It’s possible, but the key is Washington, not Tehran,” he said, The Associated Press reported.
“If American investors and the heads of American economy want to come to Iran and invest in my nation, there are no problems from our point of view,” Mr. Rouhani continued. “[That could] end the tensions and hostility.”
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Mr. Rouhani is currently visiting Rome to seal a business deal with Italy worth about $22 billion, Bloomberg Business reported.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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