Iran has never sought nuclear weapons: President Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reiterated the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, saying the Islamic Republic has never sought atomic bombs.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been and will never be after building destructive and inhumane weapons,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with senior Iranian military officials in Tehran on Saturday.

He emphasized that attempts by enemies to push the bogus claim that Iran seeks nuclear weapons must be laid bare for the whole world to see.

“When the enemy attempts to present false perceptions of Iran to the world, we should, in return, make our utmost efforts to clear these wrong perceptions,” President Rouhani said.

He pointed to Iran’s proposal World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE), which was adopted by the United Nations in the form of a resolution, saying that the approval of the resolution went a long way in countering the false images of Iran.

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve the WAVE proposal, put forward by President Rouhani himself, on December 18, 2013. The initiative calls on all nations across the globe to denounce violence and extremism. The Iranian president made the proposal in his address to the UN Disarmament Conference in New York on September 25, 2013.

Rouhani also highlighted the full preparedness of the Iranian military to defend the country against any threats, saying that Iran’s armed forces maintain full readiness in accordance with regional and international developments and the threats facing the country.

The remarks by President Rouhani come as Iran and the P5+1 countries – the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China – are holding negotiations on the text of a possible deal over the Islamic Republic’s civilian nuclear program.