Rouhani: Iran Ready for N-Talks, N-Weapons Have No Place in Iran
Local Editor
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, adding "these contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions."
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Rouhani assured the Islamic Republic of Iran poses no threat to the world and Tehran is ready for talks on its nuclear energy program with complete transparency.
He noted that the Iranian nation was ready for cooperation with the international community and all rational players based on equal footing and mutual respect.
The Iranian president urged his Washington to reject "the short-sighted interest of warmongering pressure groups" if he wants "to manage differences" with Tehran.
Rouhani accentuated at the assembly that Iran is a harbinger of peace and security in a region engulfed in chaos.
Concerning the foreign policy, the newly elected president said "the Islamic Republic, as a regional power, will act responsibly with regard to regional and international security, and is willing and prepared to cooperate in these fields, bilaterally as well as multilaterally, with other responsible actors".
Furthermore, Rouhani stated that the Iranian nuclear energy program has always been a peaceful one, saying, "This has been, and will always be, the objective of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Slamming sanctions imposed against Iran over the country's nuclear energy program as "violent" Rouhani said "The negative impact is not nearly limited to the intended victims of sanctions."
It is "an illusion, and extremely unrealistic, to presume that the peaceful nature of the nuclear program of Iran could be ensured through impeding the program via illegitimate pressures," Rouhani went on to say.
He said the only way to resolve the nuclear issue is for the international community to respect Iran's inalienable right to peaceful nuclear program.
Rouhani also condemned the use of militaristic approaches in dealing with global challenges, saying militarism of "some players" and generalization of western values poses a true danger to the world peace.
He also condemned drone attacks on "innocent people" and said they should be stopped.
Tackling the Syrian crisis, Rouhani assured that the issue can't be solved through military action.
"The human tragedy in Syria represents a painful example of catastrophic spread of violence and extremism in our region. From the very outset of the crisis and when some regional and international actors helped to militarize the situation through infusion of arms and intelligence into the country and active support of extremist groups, we emphasized that there was no military solution to the Syrian crisis".
He also warned that the greatest threat to the Middle East is the danger of chemical weapons falling into the hands of extremists and terrorist groups.
Rouhani spoke a few hours after Obama told the assembly that Washington prefers a diplomatic solution to its disputes with Iran, noting that the resolution of Iran's nuclear issue can bring about a possible thaw in relations between the two countries.
Source: News Agencies
Source: News Agencies
