US attempts to isolate Iran failed: President Rouhani

Rouhani made the comments ahead of his trip to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to attend the 18th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Thursday.

“The Americans were from the start after isolating the Islamic Republic of Iran and [wanted] the country left alone, but by God’s grace, Iran’s position among the world nations has only increasingly strengthened,” said Rouhani.

Rouhani described Iran as a “key and influential” country in the region, stressing that there is no doubt in the world today that enemy plots — particularly the harsh economic sanctions imposed by the US on the Islamic Republic — cannot bring the Iranian nation to its knees.

He further denounced the US for pursuing unilateral approaches towards other countries and interfering in their domestic affairs.

Commenting on his trip to Baku, Rouhani said that he would deliver a speech during the NAM summit and hold bilateral meetings with several heads of states participating in the gathering.

The Iranian president said he would hold a bilateral meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev later today to discuss issues of mutual interest, including the implementation of Tehran-Baku agreements.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a forum of 120 developing countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.