TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has said that achievements made by Iran in the nuclear talks are beyond what he expected two years ago.

He made the remarks during a televised interview aired late on Sunday.

On July 14, Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) clinched a deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on Tehran’s nuclear program. The agreement, which has been described as historic, has won international praise.

The deal is expected to go into force at the beginning of 2016.

On July 20, the UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing a resolution, setting the stage for the lifting of the Security Council sanctions against Iran.

Rouhani said that the UN Resolution 2231 recognizes Iran’s right to research and development in nuclear technology.

Rouhani stated that Iran succeeded to make such achievements through “resistance” of people and guidelines set by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Under the agreement, Iran will slow down some but not all aspects of its nuclear activities in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.

The near two years of talks between Iran and the 5+1 was a “Herculean task” but was worth it, Rouhani noted. “I was never despondent.”

“Not for a single second did I doubt our success,” he said.

Win-win deal

The president called the nuclear deal a win-win game.

“We sought three major goals which we achieved them and the other side also says it has achieved its objectives and this means a win-win game.”

The president said the negotiations disproved as illogical that there is only two alternatives: surrendering or defeating

There is a third option which is “constructive interaction based on national interest” and that is a win-win game, the president explained.

Rouhani also said that Iran does not trust the Western side completely for the implementation of the deal. However, Rouhani added, a “mechanism” can be applied for the implementation of the agreement that no side will be harmed.

He described as “illusion” claims by some Western countries that Iran sought to build atomic bomb, saying Iran has never sought to build mass- destruction weapons.

“[Even] at the time when Saddam [the former Iraqi president] attacked us with chemical weapons, we did not use chemical weapons,” he stated.

According to the Leader’s fatwa, building mass destruction weapons is illegitimate, he added.

Commenting on inspection of military sites, he said that there is nothing to be worried about.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has accepted nothing unusual regarding the inspection of military sites, he added.

He said that the deal will not decrease Iran’s defense capabilities and the country will not disclose its military or business secrets.

“Nobody in the world trade its national security and military secrets.”

-----UN resolution will not limit Iran’s missile capability

The president said the UN resolution, which was adopted immediately after the nuclear deal, will not limit Iran’s missile capability.

The UN Resolution 2231 does not create any limitation for Iran in terms of defense capabilities and the statement that Iran issued after the resolution it was explicitly explained “that under no circumstances we would allow our national security and defense capability be weakened.”

Cruel sanctions

Rouhani also called sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program “cruel” which run contrary to human rights.

He stated that the “Iranian people have been paying the costs of the sanctions”.

Defending the nuclear deal, the president said the “cruel” sanctions should have been removed in order to create more opportunities for Iran at the international level.

Rouhani stated that all economic sanctions will be removed after implementation of the agreement.

He also said that Iran will continue the policy of resistance economy even after removal of sanctions.

Nuclear deal can speed solutions in Syria and Yemen

The president also said the nuclear deal with the West would create better prospects for faster solutions to the crises in Syria and Yemen.

He said the nuclear agreement had shown diplomacy and engagement were the only way to solve serious political problems and end crises.

“The final solution in Yemen is political, in Syria the final solution is political,” he said. “The agreement will create a new atmosphere. The climate will be easier.”

“In the light of the recent deal the diplomatic comings and goings into the country have provided the atmosphere for moves that we want to do will be facilitated.”

However, he insisted Iran’s principles will remain unchanged.

2009 polls was a referendum for constructive interaction

The president also said the 2009 election, which he won by a landslide victory, was a “referendum on constructing interaction with the world”.

He also said since he started his work as president his administration has been seeking to resolve economic problems and this has been “one of the reasons” for the success of nuclear talks.

Since the signing of the nuclear deal visits by foreign delegations, especially from Western countries to Iran, have been expedited.

Last Wednesday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited Tehran and handed over an invitation from his country’s president to Rouhani to visit Paris.

The deal has opened new horizons for economic cooperation and transfer of technology into the country.

Rouhanis said he told Fabius that any country that will be ready to “transfer capital and technology” to Iran is welcomed.

NA/PA