Iran's president said on Monday that the United States could not decide for Iran after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded sweeping changes in the country's foreign and nuclear policies, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.
"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world? The world today does not accept America to decide for the world, as countries are independent ... that era is over ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation," ILNA quoted Hassan Rouhani as saying.
It was a pointed response to Pompeo's speech earlier in the day, in which he threatened the "strongest sanctions in history" against Iran unless it capitulated to a series of 12 demands regarding its regional behavior and missile program.
But Rouhani dismissed the administration of President Donald Trump as a "move 15 years backwards to the era of Bush junior and a repeat of the same statements as 2003".
"The era of such statements has evolved and the Iranian people have heard these statements hundreds of times, and no longer pays attention," he added.
Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister tweeted that the United States was repeating "the same wrong choices."
"U.S. diplomacy sham is merely a regression to old habits: imprisoned by delusions & failed policies—dictated by corrupt Special Interest—it repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-US JCPOA solutions," Zarif wrote on his official Twitter account.
European leaders have strongly condemned the U.S. move to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions, seeing it as undermining regional security and a direct attack on their economic interests.
Russia and China -- two other parties to the agreement -- have also criticized the U.S. move and vowed to maintain trade with Iran.
"The world does not accept the logic by which a gentleman who was head of the spy service... decides for others," said Rouhani, referring to Pompeo's recent job as head of the CIA.
