"If someone is merely seeking a photo opportunity with Hassan Rouhani, that is not possible, unless they lift all the unjust sanctions," said the Iranian president in reference to speculation about a possible meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump.

Rouhani noted that as for Iran-US ties, "the key to positive developments" is in Washington's hands. "Those who have waged economic terrorism against the Islamic Republic … need to repent and reassume their obligations," he added.

Rouhani's Aug. 27 comments were a reversal of his softening a day earlier when he expressed readiness to sit down with anyone if a meeting would benefit his country. "If I know that meeting with a certain person will resolve my country's problems and makes Iran a more developed country, I will not shy away from it, because what counts most is my country's national interests." In the same speech, Rouhani admitted that Iran is experiencing hard economic times and asserting that the country will continue to seize all diplomatic opportunities.

Rouhani's speech was taken as a response to French mediation meant to end the Iran-US impasse and salvage the fragile nuclear accord. The French initiative demands that the United States ease its "maximum pressure" campaign in return for Iran's resumption of full adherence to the deal. On the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, French President Emanuel Macron expressed hope that in the coming weeks, "we can manage to see a summit between President Rouhani and President Trump."