Iran: Nuclear agreement benefited 188 countries

President Hassan Rouhani has praised Iran's nuclear agreement with the P5+1 countries, saying it had resulted in a win-win outcome, and ended up benefiting as many as 188 countries.

Dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement was concluded between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany in Vienna last year.

“In our region, there are one or two countries that feel losses from the JCPOA outcome,” Rouhani told the opening of the 28th edition of the Tehran International Book Fair on Tuesday.

“Surely, that’s the way the world works. One-hundred-and-eighty-eight countries benefit from the JCPOA and two countries may lose. That is the world,” he said.

The Iranian president added that "Certain regional countries are angry about the results and achievements of the JCPOA and are after sabotage in the way of its implementation."

"The great Iranian nation which has covered this path to the final goal will continue on the remaining track with force," Rouhani added.

The president touched on a host of visits by foreign heads of states and officials to Iran following the agreement, saying: “Today, foreign companies and officials traveling to Iran assert that banking channels have been opened to the country. This shows that the negotiations have benefited both sides.”

Rouhani said Iran made "big achievements" from "very complicated and historically important negotiations" with world powers.

"Normally, a side makes gains and another side makes losses in negotiations. But these negotiations were a win for both us, the region and the world," he added.

The Iranian president assured that any "infrastructural work" by foreign companies would benefit both them and Iran.

Rouhani said foreign participation and capital flow would enable Iran to complete projects within four or five years instead of some 40 years which they took before "and this has huge significance.”

EA