Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, and has been widely criticized for its slow response.

"Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness," Rouhani said in a televised news conference.

Iran's Iran's clerical rulers face challenges in keeping the economy afloat under increasingly tough U.S. sanctions imposed by Washington after it withdrew in from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Rouhani said Iran remained committed to the deal and could reverse its steps away from compliance if other parties fulfilled their obligations.

Although hard-liners were among those disqualified by the powerful Guardian Council, most of those rejected were reformist and moderate candidates.

Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday arrests have been made for the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed all 176 people on board just after takeoff from Tehran last week.

Carleton University will hold a vigil on Wednesday afternoon, while a memorial service hosted by Ottawa's Iranian community is in the works for Sunday.

Protests over gasoline prices have swept across some 100 cities and towns in Iran, turning violent faster than widespread economic protests in 2017 and rallies over the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

The government shut down internet access across the nation of 80 million people to staunch demonstrations that took place in a reported 100 cities and towns.

Hassan Rouhani made the announcement in a speech in the desert Hassan Rouhani city of Yazd. He said the field was located in Iran’s southern Khuzestan province, home to its crucial oil industry.