Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the U.S. on Monday night of committing “economic terrorism” against Tehran, calling on Europe to join it in a fight against Washington’s policies in the Middle East.

Rouhani made his call for the E.U. to stand with Iran as an ally in a meeting with the visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Heiko Maas.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been, and will never be, locked in a stalemate under pressure and sanctions,” he said, according to local Fars newsagency .

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to develop political and economic relations with the European Union member states, especially Germany.”

While applauding E.U. relations with Iran, Rouhani also could not resist firing barbs at the U.S. and pleaseded with europe to stand with it in opposing “economic terrorism.”

He said, “The war that the U.S. has started against Iran for the past one year will never be beneficial for anybody and the Iranian nation have proved in this time span that they will withstand these pressures and bullying behaviors”.

He then said, “We expect Europe to stand up to the United States’ economic terrorism against the Iranian nation.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also atttacked the U.S. for imposing tough sanctions against his country, saying regional tensions would dissolve if the U.S. withdrew from the region.

“The only way to ease tensions in the region is stopping the economic war. You may not expect that an economic war be launched against the ordinary people in Iran and then those who have launched the war and supported it remain safe. We believe that Germany and Europe can play an important role in this regard to stop the war and we welcome that role,” Zarif told reporters in a joint press conference with Maas in Tehran.