Iran is facing “chronic challenges” that existed long before US sanctions were re-imposed, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday. “External factors do affect our economy, but there are problems persisting from before,” Larijani said. He listed a number of challenges, including “big, costly government,” high interest rates that “disrupt production,” cash-strapped pension funds and a water crisis. The government has yet to respond on key issues, according to Larijani. He dismissed US President Donald Trump’s offer to open fresh negotiations on a new nuclear deal. “We hear two types of rhetoric from the US president – some cheap words and some talk on the side that they are ready for negotiation,” AFP quoted him as saying. “When a country doesn’t stand by international accords, how can we trust them?”