Hassan Rowhani, President of Iran
Iran’s new president Hassan Rowhani says
Iran is ready for “serious” negotiations on its
nuclear program with the major powers
“without wasting time”. “We are the people of interaction and talks,
with seriousness and without wasting time, if
the other sides are ready,” he said on Tuesday
at his first news conference since assuming
office on Saturday. “Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is a national
issue… we will not give up the rights of the
Iranian people,” he said. “We will preserve our rights based on the
international regulations.” Rowhani also hit out a call by 76 US senators
for tougher US sanctions even as he took
office with a call for constructive engagement. He said Friday’s letter from the US lawmakers
to President Barack Obama, which was
published on Monday showed a lack of
understanding of Iranian politics. “We care about the US response in deeds, not
in words,” he said.
