President Rouhani: Iran not after nuclear weapons

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, and said the country is not after the production of atomic weapons. Rouhani made the remark in an interview with American TV channel NBC in Tehran on Wednesday. He reiterated that Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons. Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry. Regarding a recent letter sent to him by his American counterpart Barack Obama, the Iranian chief executive said that the tone of the letter was positive and constructive. After he was sworn into office as Iran’s president, said Rouhani, he received a letter from Obama, in which the US president congratulated him on his election and also touched on certain issues. Rouhani said that he responded to the letter and elaborated on Iran’s stances on the issues put forward by the American president as well as other subjects. “This could be tiny steps toward a very important future. I believe that the leaders in all countries should think about their national interests and they should not be swayed by extremist pressure groups. I hope we will witness such an atmosphere in the future,” the Iranian president added. Iran on Tuesday confirmed receiving a letter from US President Barack Obama, but dismissed media reports that the message included Washington's certain demands from Tehran on Syria. "Obama's letter was received, but it was not about Syria and it was a congratulation letter (to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani) whose response was sent," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham told reporters in Tehran, adding that the two letter also discussed other issues as well. She, meantime, criticized Obama's recent threatening remarks against Iran, and said, "Unfortunately, the US administration still speaks with the language of threat, and to hold talks with Iran, this language should change to a language of respect; insistence on illogical and unreal positions will yield no results." Afkham expressed the hope that the US foreign policy would grew pragmatic, lamenting that the US administration has made its interests and foreign policy a hostage of pressure groups. In relevant remarks on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on Washington to stop threats against the Islamic Republic, and said Tehran is ready to take confidence-building measures to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. "We are ready to build the US confidence over the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and want the US to show its honest determination to (establish) peace and drop the language of threat," Zarif said in an interview with the Lebanese al-Mayadeen news channel, adding that Iran and the US are suffering from a lack of mutual confidence. He said that inviting others to war against a world country is a dangerous crime which "is not in the interest of our friends and even the US". Zarif referred to the US and its allies' war rhetoric against Syria, and stressed that the Syrian crisis should be settled through peaceful and political means and "we hope that there is no more a possibility for military action against Syria". The Iranian top diplomat underlined Tehran's willingness to peacefully settle the regional problems through cooperation with other countries.