Iran achieved all long-sought objectives in nuclear talks: Rouhani

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic achieved all four objectives it was seeking throughout intensive nuclear talks with six world powers.

"We were following four objectives in these negotiations. As part of today's agreement and under this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, all the four objectives have been achieved," Rouhani said in a televised address on Tuesday after the conclusion of talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries.

He enumerated the objectives as Iran's ability to go ahead with its nuclear activities, lifting of "cruel and inhumane sanctions," annulment of all "illegal" sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council against Iran and the withdrawal of Iran's nuclear dossier from the Security Council.

Rouhani said the sanctions regime imposed on the Islamic Republic was never successful, adding that the bans only targeted the Iranian nation.

He said the nuclear case had played into the hands of those involved in an Iranophobia campaign.

Important juncture in history

The Iranian president added that resistance of the Iranian nation guaranteed their victory in the nuclear talks.

"Today, we are at an important juncture in the history of our country and our [Islamic] Revolution and the situation in the region," Rouhani said.

He said some powers had had some illusions over the past 12 years regarding Iran, but "a new page has been turned and a new chapter has begun."

"Iran will honor the agreement, if the other side abides by it," the Iranian president said, adding that the Iranian nation always keeps it promises.

Lifting of sanctions

President Rouhani said there are phases to a final agreement, and today served as the first of those steps, where all parties involved in the negotiations came to terms on the text of an agreement and its annexes. The negotiating partners agreed that the next phase will be within the coming days, he added. 

Rouhani said as a result of the talks, all sanctions imposed on Iran including the financial, economic and banking sanctions will be fully lifted and not suspended on the day of implementation of agreement.

The Iranian president said the day of agreement will come when the United States and the European Union clearly announce the lifting of all sanctions. From that day, President Rouhani added, Iran will begin implementation of its commitments.

Language of respect

President Rouhani recalled his first speech on the nuclear case in 2013, where he called on the global powers to stop bullying and put an end to the sanctions regime and instead speak with the Iranian nation through the language of respect.

He said the Tuesday conclusion showed that the global powers had come to terms in that regard.

Centrifuges spin on

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani elaborated on some details of the conclusion, including the number of Iran’s centrifuges in operation, saying that Tehran had convinced its negotiating partners to have 6,000 centrifuges in operation, although the other side initially wanted only 100 machines to remain in place.

The Iranian president said the other side accepted Iran’s right to research and development, adding that Tehran also convinced the other side to have IR6 and IR8 machines and have UF6 gas injected to IR8.

He said Iran’s right to have the heavy water reactor in Arak is now recognized and work will be done in the future for the reactor to be completed.

The Fordow nuclear facility will also continue operations with 1,000 centrifuges, Rouhani stated.

Defeat for the Israeli regime

Rouhani said the Tuesday statement benefits not only Iran and the Iranian people, but all the resistant nations in the region.

Israel’s efforts to push the nuclear talks of the past nearly two years into failure have led to the defeat of the Tel Aviv regime, the Iranian president stated.

President Rouhani once again appreciated all those contributing in the course of the negotiations, most notably Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for his guidance and the Iranian people for resisting the inhumane pressure over the past years.

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