During a news conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi claimed that efforts by the West to isolate Iran and bring despair to the Iranian people have been in vain, and while the country has forged strong relations, its enemies are also knocking on the door after trying to abandon it during the riots last year, after the death of the young Mahsa Amini. 

"The enemy tried to follow two strategies of isolating Iran in the world and disappointing the people inside, which it failed in both," he said, adding: "That is because we follow numerous agendas in our foreign policy all at the same time, one of which is the JCPOA" and citing the 2015 nuclear deal following the US' withdrawal. 

"We've followed relations with the neighboring countries as well as Islamic and aligned states, and improved the level of political, economic and commercial relations where commercial ties have grown 14 percent compared to the previous government," he noted.

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"In the area of regional trade ties and business measures which some believed little can be done, the government broke the record, and it turned out that there are many capacities in the country." 

Ready for negotiations with US

Raisi continued that enemies "tried to anger the people by creating problems, but the people carried on vigilantly and with insight and disappointed the enemy." However, upon realizing that the people stood with its government and that progression did not stop, they turned to unrest. 

"It thought that it could follow through with agitation. Even the Westerners left the negotiation table and pinned their hope on riots," he said, adding: "They thought that they could achieve their goals in riots, but the people let them down, after which, they immediately messaged that they wanted to go back to the negotiating table and start negotiations."

According to the Iranian president, signs like production, science, and technology indicators, alongside knowledge-based projects of the Iranian youths show "growth, effort and progress."

"Today is the day when Islamic Iran is known as an advanced and technological country". 

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In light of recent US reports the Biden administration has been negotiating discreetly to launch diplomatic channels with Iran, the latter has not commented, and Raisi asserted that they "have not abandoned the negotiating table for removing the sanctions”.

"The other side left the negotiation table, and now they regret it, stating that they are ready to negotiate."

Tending to 'other files'

In a separate topic, Raisi assured that Iran is "pursuing other files" including Iran's membership in regional and international alliances such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).  

"Alliances like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS are definitely effective against the US unilateralism," he said, calling the ties with Shanghai "important for us".

"My response to those who say the way out of our problems is the smile of America or some European countries, is that we will not wait for their smile," stressing that Iran can influence considering its high capacities. 

"This influence is a two-way street, so we will take the necessary measures and not wait for them [the West] to make a decision for us," he said.

"Relations with Latin America, Africa, and many Asian countries and becoming active in the Eurasian Economic Union and membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and recently in BRICS all show that … the enemy did not succeed in its policy to isolate Islamic Iran and our political, commercial and economic situation shows the failure of the enemy in this strategy."

Just earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Raisi via phone, detailing a discussion that included expanding their interaction in regional and global affairs, Iran's participation as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as the possibility of joining BRICS.