President Rouhani: Serious Resolve Key to Final N. Deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said cutting a final nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers will be possible by the June deadline if the US-led West shows firm resolve.
“As proved, Iran is transparent and has attended the (nuclear) talks with a strong determination, Iran’s activities are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its nuclear activities will continue on their peaceful course of action,” Rouhani said in a meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Tehran on Monday.

He further deplored the pressure and sanctions policy as unacceptable and futile, and said, “Good progress has been made in the nuclear negotiations between the two sides so far and if the other side shows a firm resolve, we will be able to reach a final agreement in due time.”

Elsewhere, Rouhani referred to the problem of extremism and violence in the today world, and said, “To fight terrorism, all countries should be convinced that terrorism doesn’t benefit anyone.”

He warned that the terrorist groups will finally backfire on their supporters.

After nine days of hard work in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) reached an understanding on April 2 which laid the ground for them to start drafting the final nuclear deal over Tehran’s nuclear energy program ahead of a July 1 deadline.

Reading out a joint statement at a press conference with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Lausanne on April 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said according to the agreement, all the US, EU and UN Security Council sanctions against Iran would be lifted under the final deal.

The seven nations are now drafting the final deal.

But earlier this month, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi complained that the world powers welsh on what they agree to undertake in the nuclear talks with Iran.

“We welcome interaction as Iran’s logic is based interaction with the world. We are not after confrontation,” Salehi said in Tehran, addressing a ceremony to commemorate the Iranian nuclear scientists assassinated by the foreign spy agencies.

He said the nuclear negotiations with the G5+1 are progressing well, but “they are lowballing with regard to certain issues that we had agreed on.”

Salehi underscored that Tehran is after a nuclear agreement with the world powers “but not at any price”.

His remarks came after the US Senate advanced a legislation that would allow the Congress to review a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.