Yusef Jalali 
Press TV, Tehran 200 journalists from 20 countries flocked to Iran's Presidential Office to cover Hassan Rouhani's 14th presser since he took office in 2013. The president began by once again condoling with Iranians on last month's mistaken downing of the Ukrainian plane in Tehran, which killed all of its 176 passengers.

Rouhani also thanked Iranians for standing with the government on 'the hard days of the US pressures'.

In 2018, the United States unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions against Iran's oil.

Iran has been trying to find alternatives for oil revenues.

Rouhani called the year 2019 the year of an economy free of oil, which proved that Iran's economy can survive without oil.

Rouhani said negotiations with the US are still possible, but he stressed that any talks with Washington need to be done based on the language of respect and not threat.

Rouhani's presser came as Iran is gearing up for the 11th parliamentary elections slated for February 21.

American officials have claimed that Iran's elections are just a sham.

The president urged Iranians to take part in the elections en masse to 'disappoint the enemy.' In the wake of the US-led economic pressures against Tehran, Rouhani called for high turnout in the upcoming parliamentary elections as a way out of the existing economic woes and promised to keep close cooperation with the next parliament in line with bettering people's welfare