Iran’s President: JCPOA A Test for US to Build Trust
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US can take the opportunity to fully honor its commitments under a final deal over Iran’s nuclear program to rebuild trust and pave the way for talks with Tehran on the other issues, such as the crisis in Syria.
“It has been mentioned earlier that full implementation of the nuclear deal is a big test for (building) trust,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with managers of US and international media outlets, held in New York on Friday.
The president made the comments when asked about negotiations between Tehran and Washington for settling a drawn-out crisis in Syria.
“The (nuclear) agreement has approached the implementation stage in the US, and in Iran as well. The sanctions should be completely lifted so that the Iranian people would feel that negotiation yields results,” he added.
“Thereafter” he noted “the two countries (Iran and the US) may be able to enter talks over the other issues.”
Asked about a possible encounter with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly or even a handshake, President Rouhani said differences between the two countries could not be resolved overnight.
“It is necessary to be realistic and consider the mutual interests and the future. There exist great differences and hostility between Iran and the US, and Iranians are uneasy about the US government’s policies towards them and the region,” he stressed.
“The problems between Iran and the US would not be settled with a handshake. The attitudes and performances need to change,” the Iranian president added.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a conclusion on a lasting nuclear agreement that would terminate all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program after coming into force.
While many consider the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) a major breakthrough in the improvement of ties between Iran and the West, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has already made it clear that Tehran’s policy toward the US will remain unchanged regardless of the ultimate fate of the JCPOA.