As major U.S. sanctions against Iran went into effect, President Rouhani declared that "with people's help and unity, we have to make Americans understand that they cannot talk to the great Iranian nation with the language of pressure and sanctions. They have to be punished". "We have no problem with talking", he added, "provided that the other party values its commitments and promises". Rouhani also pledged that "we will break these sanctions with honour", and predicted that "the U.S. will definitely fail in the way that it has chosen against the Iranian nation".