Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday reassured his country ahead of President Trump’s impending decision on the Iran nuclear deal, saying “we will pass through this.”
“It is possible that we will face some problems for two or three months, but we will pass through this,” Rouhani said at a petroleum conference several hours after Trump tweeted he would announce the decision on whether the U.S. would remain in the agreement on Tuesday afternoon, according to The Associated Press.
Rouhani on Monday said he is preparing the country in case the U.S. reapplies sanctions against Iran as a result of pulling out of the deal, according to USA Today. He also says his country is willing to stay in the agreement, even without the U.S., if other signatory nations can guarantee it.
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Rouhani also said Iran is “working with the world and constructive engagement with the world,” in a likely reference to Europe’s business interests with Tehran.
The U.S. signed the nuclear pact under President Obama along with Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany to tamp down on Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief, but Trump has said he wants to remove the U.S. from the deal because of a lack of oversight and suspicions Iran is not keeping its end of the deal.
Trump’s decision comes after months of delay, during which European allies have urged the U.S. to stay in the deal. But the president calls the agreement the “worst deal ever” and has demanded significant changes be made for the U.S. to remain.