MNA – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the Financial Action Task Force’s decision to blacklist Iran, saying the move will be used to justify the intensification of inhumane sanctions on the country.

"We were trying not to let America and the Zionist regime announce us as the violator of these actions despite the fact that we are pioneer of fighting money laundering and terrorism," said the President.

He added, "anyway, the FATF took the undecidedness of a group, which is out of the authority of the government and the parliament, as pretext to make a decision against the interests of the Iranian nation, and as it was expected, it made the US happy, justifying intensification of unjust, inhumane sanctions.”

He said that the Central Bank and economic and trade bodies have made the necessary planning for trade under sanctions and are trying to minimize its negative effects on the country's international trade, saying, "Of course, the United States' sanctions are more limiting than those of the FATF, but the government was trying not to let their decision authorize the US government to put more pressure on our trade partners.”

President Rouhani added, "the great Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic did not deserve to be placed in an international body's countermeasures list while we are pioneers of fighting terrorism and money laundering.”

Elsewhere, the president appreciated people's turnout to the parliamentary elections.

"We need to keep the institution of elections in Iran alive, and despite the results and the elected persons' political views, I appreciate people's turnout," said Rouhani, adding, "as the President does not represent only the 24 million people who voted for him, but the entire 41 million voters and the entire Iranian nation, the Parliament is everybody's representative from its inauguration day."

"I would like to thank all those who worked hard to hold the elections across the country. I would also like to thank the Police for maintaining security and the media for covering the elections closely," he said.

Rouhani also referred to the coronavirus outbreak and said, "We assure people that we will do all we have in our power to protect people's welfare and in doing so, we have immediately formed the headquarters for combating and preventing it.”

Stating that all governmental bodies, the Armed Forces and public institutions will do whatever they can, he said, "our aim is to control the disease in the shortest time possible with the least possible casualties. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education is responsible for this, and any arbitrary actions by other individuals or bodies will not be tolerated whatsoever."