Iranian President Hassan Rouhani once again shrugged off criticism from his hard-line critics at home by throwing his full weight behind the 2015 nuclear deal, which is hanging by a thread due to the US pullout in May 2018.

Addressing a meeting of local officials in the southeastern city of Kerman Nov. 12, Rouhani said the phased reduction of commitments his administration has started is the "right path" of "resistance" against what Iran laments as the European signatories' failure to live up to their side of the agreement.

"Israeli pressure and Saudi money forced [US President Donald] Trump into withdrawal from the accord," Rouhani declared, suggesting that his September visit to New York could have yielded some compromise with the United States if "someone other than Trump" was in the Oval Office.

Earlier, Rouhani told crowds of people — among them protesters — in the southeastern city of Rafsanjan that Iran will not depart from the deal that is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "Staying [in the deal] will lead us to a great political, security and defense achievement next year," he noted. The Iranian president was referring to the potential termination of UN Security Council resolutions 1737 and 1747 concerning a set of arms embargoes on the Islamic Republic. If the UN nuclear watchdog finds Iran in full compliance with the pact, those embargoes will be lifted as of Oct. 18, 2020.