'Iran Will Never Seek a Nuclear Weapon': President Hassan Rouhani // Iran Nuclear Deal Concludes In Historic Announcement
TEHRAN: President Hassan Rouhani has pledged that
Iran "will never seek a nuclear weapon, with or without the
implementation" of the deal agreed with world powers in
Vienna. Rouhani said live on state television that such weapons were
"against our religion" and contradicted a decree from supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei barring the pursuit of an atomic bomb. He
reiterated the point later in his speech, promising regional countries
suspicious of Iran's nuclear programme that it has never and will not
"seek to pressure" its neighbours.
Iran reached a historic deal with six world powers on
Tuesday that promises to curb Tehran’s controversial nuclear program in
exchange for economic sanctions relief.
The accord was announced on Tuesday by Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Union's policy chief Federica
Mogherini in a joint statement in the Austrian capital. Zarif acknowledged
that the final agreement wasn't perfect, but described the announcement as a "historic moment." "Today
could have been the end of hope," he said, "but now we are starting a
new chapter of hope."
The breakthrough comes after months of thorny negotiations
between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group -- the five permanent members of the
U.N. Security Council and Germany. U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry made a statement in Vienna, saying "this is the good
deal that we have sought." Kerry stated that while the deal is
historic, the implementation is what matters. "I’m not going to stand here
and tell you every is going to work without a bump," he said. Kerry added
that the deal contains ample mechanisms for ensuring the terms are
met, however, and that the agreement makes evident the consequences of
non-compliance.
Kerry and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke last night
before the deal was announced, a senior administration official told The
Huffington Post. The two also met before Kerry traveled to Vienna, with
President Obama instructing the negotiating team to not worry about deadlines,
according to the official...