Rohani says Iran will Never build Nuclear Weapons

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Wednesday that his government would never develop nuclear weapons, his strongest signal yet that he may be seeking a diplomatic thaw with the West after decades of acrimony.

In an interview with media days before he travels to New York for a U.N. appearance, the new Iranian president also insisted he had “complete authority” to negotiate a nuclear deal with the United States and other Western powers.

“We have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, nor will we ever,” Rouhani said when asked whether he would forswear nuclear arms.

Rouhani’s conciliatory comments appeared to be another sign of his willingness to work toward a diplomatic solution in Iran’s bitter nuclear standoff with the West. Washington and its allies are intrigued but still wary, making clear they hope to see tangible steps to back up his words.

Speaking to the U.S. network at his presidential compound in Tehran, Rouhani said the tone of a letter he had received from President Barack Obama, part of a recent exchange of messages between the leaders, was “positive and constructive.”

“It could be subtle and tiny steps for a very important future,” Rouhani said six days before he is due to address the U.N. General Assembly, a speech that will be watched closely for fresh diplomatic overtures.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said that nuclear weapons development would be inconsistent with Islamic values. But a willingness by a newly elected president to rule out nuclear arms could help provide a new opening in long-stalled international nuclear talks.

Questions remain about how much bargaining room Khamenei, a staunch promoter of Iran’s nuclear program, will give Rouhani’s government, whether in secret talks with Washington or in multilateral discussions with major powers.

Comments on Tuesday by Khamenei about the need for “flexibility” suggest a new willingness at the highest level to explore a compromise solution to Tehran’s dispute with the West.

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