TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country is not seeking to wage war against any nation while at the same time stressing that it will withstand mounting U.S. pressure and emerge victorious.
Rouhani’s remarks on Tuesday came as Tehran and Washington are edging toward a flashpoint after Tehran announced it was breaking compliance with the nuclear deal with world powers and the Trump administration ordered 1,000 more troops to the Middle East.
Rouhani says the “entire Iranian nation is unanimous in confronting” U.S. pressures and that “the end of this battle will see victory of the Iranian nation.”
The escalation follows apparent attacks last week on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, assaults that Washington has blamed on Iran. Tehran has denied being involved in the attacks.