President Hassan Rouhani has reiterated that if Washington wants to open negotiations with Tehran, it must lift all sanctions against Iran “before everything else.”

Rouhani made the statement during a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Tuesday, according to state TV.

The president also reiterated that America’s sanctions on Iran are an act of “economic terrorism.”

Last week, the US administration also announced financial sanctions on Zarif. The sanctions are seen as part of a US maximum pressure campaign on Iran.