Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the country’s enemies have realized, although not admitting it, that their “maximum pressure” campaign against the Iranian nation has been futile and should be set aside.

In a meeting on Tuesday with his Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi and senior officials of the ministry, Rouhani outlined his administration’s strategies and plans in dealing with a range of issues facing the country, particularly the US’s withdrawal from a 2015 multinational deal on the Iranian nuclear program as well as the ensuing economic war waged by enemies against Iran and their attempts to spark tensions within Iran.

“They may not admit it, but the enemies of the Islamic establishment and Iranian people have accepted [the fact] that the strategy of ‘maximum pressure’ has failed and they should abandon this approach towards the Iranian nation,” he said.

The US under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 in defiance of global objections and unleashed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, under which it has imposed the “toughest ever” sanctions targeting the Iranian economy in order to force Tehran into submitting to its excessive demands.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said the Iranian nation has successfully passed the “tough test of confronting the ‘maximum pressure’ policy of ill-wishers,” praising great efforts made by the country’s officials and Armed Forces to make that happen.

The country should continue on the same path until the enemies are completely frustrated, Rouhani said.

“The Iranian nation has shown that it is vigilant and well aware of the root causes of pressures and difficulties,” he said.

In return, the authorities could thank the nation by working to safeguard Iran, its Islamic establishment and the country’s national interests and by offering efficient services to people, he added.

Commenting on the country’s economic issues, the president said, “Despite the unprecedented difficulties and hostilities towards the Iranian nation, there has been a rise in major economic indexes in recent months,” Rouhani said.