Iran

President Rouhani: Iran Accepts Only Good Deal with Powers

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani played down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Tuesday address to the US Congress, but meantime stressed that Tehran would not endorse a bad nuclear agreement with the world powers.
“The world is pleased with the progress in the negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) since the results of this progress and agreement benefit the region and the world as well as the development, trade, economy, culture and settlement of the problems and threats created by extremism in the region and the world,” Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

He referred to the Zionist regime’s anger at the nuclear talks, and said only an aggressive and occupying regime which sees its existence dependent on war and aggression and always disturbs establishment of regional peace and security can be furious at such negotiations.

“You witness how the al-Nusrah Front terrorist group is supported by this criminal regime with all the crimes it is committing,” Rouhani said.

Stressing that negotiation is the only way to settle the West’s nuclear standoff with Iran, he said the world nations are wise enough not to listen to the Zionist regime which is in possession of atomic weapons, doesn’t allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear facilities, kills the innocent people and poses the biggest danger to the region.

Yet, Rouhani downplayed the effectiveness of Netanyahu’s remarks against Iran, and said, “We are after a win-win, balanced and durable agreement and such an agreement with such features will benefit the region and the world.”

Noting that the G5+1 is facing two choices, he said it should either reach an agreement and understanding with Iran within the framework of logic and the international regulations as soon as possible, or “deny the realities on the ground and, as a result, witness even a faster progress of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program”.

Rouhani warned that opting for the second choice means repeating previous mistakes “and the world powers have seen in the past that sanctions and pressures haven’t left any impact on Iran’s progress”.

“If these negotiations are meant to deprive the Iranian nation of its inalienable right of progress in science and technology, Iran will naturally not accept such an understanding and agreement,” he added.

His remarks came after Netanyahu’s controversial speech at the US Congress last night. He was invited by US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner hours after President Barack Obama threatened to veto any sanctions legislation against Iran during his State of the Union address on January 20.

More than 50 House Democrats boycotted the event. The Obama administration is both angry at Netanyahu’s accepting the Republican invitation to address Congress two weeks before the Israeli election without consulting the White House and excessive Israel Lobby interference in American foreign policy.

Shortly after the Israeli prime minister spoke against the ongoing Iran’s nuclear talks, US President Barack Obama told reporters that Netanyahu “did not offer any viable alternative”.

The US president said there was ‘nothing new’ in Netanyahu’s speech.

Iran and the G5+1 are negotiating to narrow their differences over Tehran’s nuclear energy program ahead of a July 1 deadline.

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