Iranian President Hassan Rouhani further argued that it is clear that, despite the Trump administration’s denials, the United States is pursuing a policy of regime change in Tehran. | Mary Altaffer/AP Photo Foreign Policy U.S. displaying ‘Nazi disposition’ under Trump, Iranian leader tells U.N.

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said on Tuesday that the United States under Donald Trump is exhibiting a “Nazi disposition” as it adopts a more unilateral worldview and reimposes a slew of sanctions on the Islamist government in Tehran.

Speaking before world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, Rouhani didn’t mention Trump by name. But there was little question his remarks were aimed at the Republican U.S. president, who Rouhani also suggested lacked intellect.


Trump and Rouhani have been verbally circling each other since Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. The president has since said he would be willing to meet with Rouhani without preconditions, but the odds of that appeared close to zero after Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Trump wrote on Twitter that although he had no plans to meet the Iranian leader during this year’s General Assembly, he was sure that Rouhani “is an absolutely lovely man!” But during his own speech to the world body, delivered before Rouhani, Trump blasted Iran’s clerical leaders, saying they “sow chaos, death, and destruction.”

Rouhani spent much of his speech criticizing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal, while expressing appreciation to European nations as well as China and Russia for taking steps to salvage the agreement.

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“It is unfortunate,” Rouhani said, “that we are witnessing rulers in the world ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism and through xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition, as well as through the trampling of global rules and undermining international institutions.”

The Iranian leader added later: “Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather, it is a symptom of a weakness of intellect.”

Rouhani further argued that it is clear that, despite the Trump administration’s denials, the United States is pursuing a policy of regime change in Tehran. And while Trump has said it is the Iranians who want to meet him, Rouhani indicated it was the reverse.

“It is ironic that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks,” Rouhani said.

Talks between the U.S. and Iran should be held within the framework of discussions about the nuclear deal, not “photo-ops” on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Rouhani said.

In May, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal, which was negotiated under President Barack Obama. The agreement lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Trump has since reimposed the sanctions. Some of the toughest, on Iran’s oil sector, take effect in early November.

Trump argued that the deal didn’t do enough to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. He also criticized it for not covering a range of other Iranian activities the U.S. finds objectionable, including its support for terrorist groups and proxy militias across the Middle East.

Rouhani said on Tuesday that sanctions were themselves a form of terrorism. But he warned Trump not to underestimate the resiliency of the Iranian people.

“The multi-millennial history of our country,” he said, “demonstrates that Iran and Iranians have never broken in the face of a storm of events.”