US President Barack
Obama says Washington prefers a diplomatic solution to its disputes with
Iran, noting that resolution of Iran nuclear issue can bring about a
possible thaw in frosty relations between the two countries.
“… I do believe that if we can resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, that can serve as a major step down a long road towards a different relationship; one based on mutual interests and mutual respect,” Obama said in his address to the 68th annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
He added that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa “against the development of nuclear weapons” and that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has just recently reiterated that the Islamic Republic will never develop a nuclear weapon.
“So these statements made by our respective governments should offer the basis for a meaningful agreement. We should be able to achieve a resolution that respects the rights of the Iranian people while giving the world confidence that the Iranian [nuclear] program is peaceful,” the US president stated.
Obama further pushed for diplomacy with Iran, saying that he firmly believes the diplomatic path must be tested.
"The roadblocks may prove to be too great but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested."
The US president, however, urged Tehran to meet its international obligations by taking “transparent and verifiable actions.”
He added that he had tasked US Secretary of State John Kerry with pursuing an agreement with Iran over its nuclear energy program.
Meanwhile, Obama admitted that distrust between Iran and the US is deep-rooted, referring to the US interference in Iran’s internal affairs during the past, including the 1953 overthrow of Iran's democratically-elected prime minister.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.
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