Iran-US ties won't return to pre-1979 levels, President Rouhani says

U.S. attempts to build a diplomatic relationship with Iran similar to that which existed before 1979 are "unrealistic", Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday.

Rouhani made the assertion at an inauguration ceremony for a new railroad line in Iran's northern city of Lahijan.

"The U.S. hopes to defeat Iran this year," read a statement released by Rouhani's office.

"But the people have successfully stood up to the [U.S.] sanctions," he added.

"The U.S. wants to turn back the clock to the period before 1979, but we won't go back," Rouhani said. "We will continue to move towards democracy as an independent country."

"They wanted to unite the world against Iran in Warsaw, but they failed," the president added, referring to a U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference -- to which Iranian representatives were not invited -- held in February in the Polish capital.

In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his country from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).

Shortly afterward, Washington re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran targeting the country's energy and banking sectors.