Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei emphasised that “economic planning for the country should not wait for the sanctions to be lifted or for election results in such and such a country… we should suppose that sanctions will continue for another ten years. Therefore, we should focus on domestic capacities and resources. Of course, they may make good decisions, and in that case, we will benefit from them. However, the economic matters of the country should not be dependent on foreign developments”. In related remarks on 23 August, President Rouhani underscored that “Washington’s maximum pressure policy on Iran has failed 100 per cent... If Washington wants an agreement with us, then they should apologise for exiting the [nuclear] deal and return to it”. “The next president, whether it is Trump or someone else, must adopt a different approach towards Iran”, Rouhani added.