Iranian president Hasan Rouhani said Tuesday that he sees a real possibility of a “win-win” agreement between the West and Iran over its nuclear program, but cautioned that there’s only limited time to reach one and Iran isn’t willing to give up much of its nuclear program.
In an appearance on state TV, the recently inaugurated leader argued that his election represented a willingness on the part of Iran to engage in negotiation. He implied, however, that Iran would give little ground regarding what it considers legitimate civilian nuclear operations, saying the Islamic Republic “will not withdraw an iota from the definite rights of people.” No deal would come about through “imposing sanctions and pressure on the Iranian nation,” he said.
His announcements come a day after the United States tentatively welcomed a Russian proposal for Syria to hand over its stockpiles of illegal weapons to international control.
Rouhani will travel to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly later this month, and said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program could well begin there.