Hassan Rouhani, the president of the Islamic Republic says we will negotiate but we will not be bullied.

During the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 13, Rouhani emphasized the necessity of “resisting against America” and said that “if our nation surrenders any step to America, we have to retreat all the way and surrender our dignity and power and identity. Therefore, we have to resist.”

He added: “We will negotiate, but we will not accept bullying or violation of our rights.”

Rouhani’s comments are delivered as the “Peace and Security for the Middle East” summit starts. The Warsaw summit, organized by the United States and hosted by Poland, has been attended by dozens of foreign ministers.

Hassan Rouhani described the current conditions as “wartime conditions” and underlined the necessity of unity among political groups and parties and said: “If someone stands aside during the war and sarcastically criticizes, it is against their Sharia duty. The government is in the front line of the battle.” This comment seems to be directed at the recent trend of criticism of the government by different groups within the body of the Islamic Republic.