In his first press briefing after his return from UN General Assembly, President Rouhani claimed that the United States offered to return to the 5+1 negotiations and lift all sanctions on Iran, but he did not accept their offer because he did not what would be the conclusion of these negotiations.

Rouhani said on Friday: “The Americans directly said ‘we will lift all the sanctions,’ but this method of doing things was unacceptable. If we negotiate with the Americans while under all these pressure and sanctions, nobody can predict the result. Even if it’s done within through 5+1.”

However, after Meeting with President Rouhani in UN, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Iran’s demand of lifting all sanctions as a prerequisite to negotiation is “unrealistic.”

President Trump also tweeted on Friday: “Iran wanted me to lift the sanctions imposed on them in order to meet. I said, of course, NO!”

Rouhani once again denied the Islamic Republic’s involvement in the attack on Saudi oil facilities, for which the European powers and the US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran.

Parts of Rouhani’s speech:

• The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany insisted to hold a 5+1 meeting with the United States, and the US said it will lift the sanctions. Then the issue was which sanctions will be lifted, and Americans said we will lift all sanctions.
• Americans directly said that they will lift all the sanctions, but the method of doing it was unacceptable.
• We said we are ready to negotiate, but not under pressure. The Europeans asked when will you be ready? I said even in an hour. But you must first clear this poisonous atmosphere. The US is the one that doesn’t want to negotiate.
• I told the Europeans that they have no evidence of us attacking the Saudi facilities. They said the attacks came from the north. I said that is not evidence. 
• Blaming Iran for the attacks on Aramco was a conspiracy by the US and Saudi Arabia. Countries like Russia and Turkey openly stated that blaming Iran for the attacks is wrong.