Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says if the United States lifts its sanctions, apologises for its unlawful measures, and shows mutual respect, it is possible to hold talks with them.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, Rouhani said, We have always been ready for negotiations and diplomacy as we were ready for war, defence and resistance.

Some people think the United States is ready to negotiate and it is Iran that refuses; but that is not the case at all, and the United States is by no means ready to negotiate, Rouhani said.

In such situation it is not logical to talk about negotiation. We must first make the US repent. We have no other solution.

Today, there is no way for the great nation of Iran except standing against the aggressor, so we must force this aggressor understand that the path they have chosen is wrong, he added.

Referring to the US hostile action to end waivers on Irans oil sanctions, he said, This is the new American propaganda to put the Iranian nation under pressure.

The Americans initiated this move in January 2017 and began their serious work as of May last year, and every day launched an unlawful act against the Iranians to pressure the people, stated Rouhani.

So far, the US measures have not been successful at the international, regional, political and propagandist levels, and they will not achieve their goals in the economic arena as well, he added.

Though they have created problems for our people, and their every wrong move brings more pressure on the Iranians, our nation knows well that at the moment there is no way but resistance.

Rouhani reiterated that US has failed in its anti-Iran plots over past 40 years and will fail again.

The US said in a statement on Monday that buyers of the Iranian oil must stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Irans eight biggest buyers — Turkey, China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan — to continue importing limited volumes.

The United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates … along with our friends and allies, are committed to ensuring that global oil markets remain adequately supplied, the White House statement said.

In his Wednesday remarks, Rouhani also addressed Saudi Arabia and the UAE, reminding them that they owe their survival to Iran.

If it wasnt for Irans initiative during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE would exist today.

The president said there is a very good relationship with the neighbouring countries but Saudi Arabia and the UAE must realise that they owe their existence and survival to the Islamic Republic of Iran.