A top adviser to Iran's supreme leader says the election of centrist Hasan Rouhani as the country's president gives an opportunity to world powers to reach a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, but that Tehran will never again suspend its nuclear activities.
Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on key matters including the nuclear issue, told The Associated Press that the onus was on the West to reach out to Iran, but pledged that Iran would respond with a "different language" from the bombastic rhetoric used by Rouhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The election of Rouhani has revived hopes that a deal can be reached with the West to ease concerns over Iran's nuclear intentions. So far, the change from Iran's side has been in terms of a softer tone, but not a softening of its determination to fully pursue its nuclear program.
Tehran insists its program is entirely peaceful, but the United States and its allies believe it aims to have the capability to build a nuclear weapon.
Rouhani, who won a landslide victory in June 14 presidential election, has vowed to follow a "policy of moderation" and ease tensions with the outside world, saying Iranians voted for change. He insisted yesterday that the nation wants a change in foreign policy tactics but not principles.
Still, a change in tone from Iran would not be insignificant. Ahmadinejad used to call UN resolutions "worthless papers," comparing them to "annoying flies" and "a used tissue," and the outgoing top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili followed hard-line tactics in talks. Four rounds of nuclear talks since last year between Iran and members of the six-nation group, the five permanent UN Security Council nations plus Germany, have failed so far to make significant headway.
The comments by Velayati, a close confidante of Khamenei, indicated that the country's top leadership supports dropping the tough rhetoric and taking a more diplomatic approach, convinced that it can maintain its nuclear program and ease tensions with the West at the same time.
Velayati also hinted that the leadership sees potential for progress by holding bilateral talks with individual Western powers, including the US, an idea that Khamenei has been cold to in the past.
Velayati told the AP that Rouhani's election "could be a test for the goodwill of Western countries ... They (the West) have to use this opportunity.
