Hassan Rouhani says US 'warmongering' against Iran will fail

Iran said the sacking of US National Security Adviser John Bolton would not bring it back to the table

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency on September 11, 2019 shows President Hassan Rouhani chairing a cabinet meeting in the capital Tehran, with a banner behind him reading in Arabic "O martyr Abu al-Abbas al-Hussein", hung up during the Ashura mourning period and referring to the prophet Mohamed's grandson Imam Hussein ibn Ali.  - === RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ===
 / AFP / Iranian Presidency / HO / === RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ===
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President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the United States would fail with its "warmongering" and said that Iran was ready to further reduce its nuclear commitments in response.

"The Americans must understand that bellicosity and warmongering don't work in their favour. Both … must be abandoned," Mr Rouhani told a meeting of his Cabinet, according to the government's Twitter account.

"The United States should understand that militancy has no profit and must abandon its policy of maximum pressure on Iran … Iran's commitments to the nuclear deal is proportional to other parties and we will take further steps if necessary."

He was referring to a wave of sanctions placed on the Iranian economy by the US since it withdrew from the nuclear agreement signed with world powers in 2015.

One of the key US hawks on Iran, John Bolton, was sacked by US President Donald Trump late on Tuesday, but Iran said that it would not change Tehran's dealings with Washington.

"The departure of US National Security Adviser John Bolton from President Donald Trump's administration will not push Iran to reconsider talking with the US," state news agency Irna quoted Tehran's UN envoy Majid Takhteravanchi as saying.

He said there was no room for talks with the US while sanctions against Iran remain in place, Irna reported.

Mr Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he told Bolton on Monday night that his services were no longer needed at the White House. He says Mr Bolton submitted his resignation on Tuesday morning.

Mr Trump tweeted that he "disagreed strongly" with many of Mr Bolton's suggestions, "as did others in the administration".

Iran claimed credit for Mr Trump's dismissal of his hawkish national security adviser Mr Bolton.

An adviser to President Hassan Rouhani said Mr Bolton's departure was the result of Iran's resistance to Trump's maximum pressure campaign.

The adviser Hesameddin Ashena said in a tweet that the move is a sign of the pressure campaign's failure and proof that Iran is able to "manage" US policies on Iran.

Mr Trump and Mr Bolton disagreed on numerous issues, including over the president's willingness to consider meeting Mr Rouhani.