Iran's Rouhani: Why I didn't shake Obama's hand
| New York
Iran鈥檚 President Hassan Rouhani expanded his American charm offensive this morning, saying he was ready to alter decades of US-Iran hostility and that there was 鈥渘othing we seek to hide鈥� about Iran鈥檚 controversial nuclear program.聽
鈥淚n the past 35 years between the US and Iran, both sides have made mistakes,鈥� the centrist cleric told a group of editors and columnists from leading American news organizations over breakfast in New York, a day after addressing the UN General Assembly.
鈥淩egardless of correct or incorrect measures, what we have before us is a conclusion that is not desirable,鈥� said Mr. Rouhani.聽
He said the fact that he did not end up shaking the hand of President Barack Obama should not be construed as a lack of interest in rapprochement. The聽symbolic act would have signaled a joint willingness to move toward d茅tente for the first time since Iran鈥檚 1979 Islamic revolution.
There are 鈥渘o problems in terms of shaking Mr. Obama鈥檚 hand and negotiating with him,鈥� Rouhani said. 鈥淚t was two days ago that the US proposed a meeting and we were not opposed. This is a very sensitive subject. We have not talked at that level for 35 years. We must take these steps carefully.鈥�
Senior administration officials said the possible handshake on the sidelines of the UN assembly聽鈥� which was built up by both sides yesterday as a distinct possibility 鈥撀爌roved 鈥渢oo complicated鈥� for Iran at this time,聽鈥済iven their own dynamic back home.鈥�
鈥淲e are ready to negotiate, but we didn鈥檛 have enough time to make that happen,鈥� said Rouhani. 鈥淭he handshake is a symbolic issue.鈥�
A top priority in New York for both Iran and the US has been to reinvigorate negotiations between Iran and six world powers over capping Iran's nuclear program so that it can never build a nuclear weapon 鈥撀燼n aim Iran publicly rejects. Six rounds of talks since early 2012 have so far yielded only stalemate.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been tasked by Obama to 鈥渃losely鈥� follow up, starting with a meeting in New York tomorrow between the six world powers and Iran's US-educated foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing we seek to hide,鈥� said Rouhani, adding 鈥渁ll鈥� of Iran鈥檚 declared nuclear sites are under UN inspection and that Iran only wants its 鈥渓egal rights鈥� to enrich uranium, as specified by the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a signatory.
鈥淔orty countries are doing enrichment. We want nothing less, nothing more,鈥� said Rouhani.
Iran has long tried to normalize its nuclear program, remove UN resolutions requiring it to prove that its program is peaceful, and lift crippling US sanctions. Rouhani said restricting the levels of enrichment 鈥� especially Iran鈥檚 work to 20 percent purity, which is a few technical steps from bomb-grade 鈥� was negotiable.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 20 percent enrichment or 5 percent enrichment, all of those can be placed on the table and examined,鈥� said Rouhani. 鈥淭he endgame is the removal of everyone鈥檚 concerns, and the restoration of Iran鈥檚 rights鈥� to enrich uranium.
The Iranian president, who scored an upset victory against a host of conservative rivals in mid-June elections under the slogan of 鈥渉ope and prudence,鈥� also clarified his views on the Holocaust 鈥撀燼 historical event questioned by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
鈥淭he Nazis committed a crime in World War II. As to the scale of the massacres, and the numbers that my predecessor mentioned, let鈥檚 leave that to the historians,鈥� said Rouhani. The Nazis carried a 鈥渕assacre that cannot be denied 鈥� especially against the Jewish people,鈥� he said, calling it a 鈥渉orrendous crime.鈥�
