On August 2, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran’s achievements secured in the nuclear deal surpassed expectations. In a live interview on state television, he pushed back against hardliner critiques of the agreement. “This idea that we have two options before the world, either submit to it or defeat it, is illogical: there is also a third way, of constructive cooperation with the world in a framework of national interests,” said Rouhani. The following is a dubbed video clip of the interview via Press TV followed by a summary of his key points.
• The 2013 presidential election was a referendum on how Iran should deal with the outside world.
• Iran’s resistance to and resilience against sanctions was key to maintaining its right to a peaceful nuclear program in the negotiations.
• Iran cannot completely trust the world powers that are committed to the deal, but a mechanism can be devised to prevent any side from facing a loss if the other breaches the agreement.
• The fact that the interim nuclear deal between and the world’s six major powers stood for nearly two years could be a sign that the final deal can also last.
• The entire Iranian nation will stand behind the Supreme Leader and will safeguard the nation’s rights just it did during the 1980-1988 war imposed by Iraq, in which Iran never resorted to using chemical weapons.
• Iran is not pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
• Iran met three objectives in the nuclear deal, establishing its nuclear rights, moving out of Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter and gaining sanctions relief.
• U.N. Security Council 2231 will not create national security problems for Iran. Under its provisions, sanctions related to arms for Iran are limited.
• Iran will not give away its national secrets. Its defensive capability will not be diminished at all.
• The government’s successful curbing of inflation from 42 percent down to 15 percent and achieving positive economic growth discouraged the world powers from pressuring Iran during the nuclear talks.
• Iran would welcome foreign investment but not increased imports.
• The deal has opened Iran’s doors to foreign technology and capital and will facilitate Iranian exports after sanctions are lifted.
• The final solutions to conflicts in Yemen and Syria are political. The nuclear agreement will create a new atmosphere and the climate will be easier.