The Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said in a statement broadcast by local TV on Tuesday that Iran “has never wanted nuclear weapons”.
Commenting on the Iranian nuclear deal, President Rouhani warned that Tehran will continue scale back its nuclear commitments unless the US lifts its “illegal” sanctions. According to Rouhani, relieving sanctions could be a first step for negotiations, adding that otherwise there will be no change in the status quo.
"Without the removal of sanctions and abandoning the erroneous path that the US has chosen, we will not see any positive changes. Washington has the key to positive changes", Rouhani said during a speech broadcast by Iranian television.
Iran was a prominent topic of discussion at the G7 forum in Biarritz, France. During the summit, President Trump said that he had a "good feeling" about negotiations with Iran.
Ties between Washington and Tehran significantly deteriorated when the Trump administration withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Trump argued that the existing nuclear deal was "flawed" and repeatedly suggested meeting with Iranian officials in order to negotiate a new deal. Tehran has so far declined these offers, saying that the US should first lift sanctions, as the country would not negotiate while "under the pressure".
