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US President Obama and Iranian President-elect Rouhani appeared to be willing to improve ties between their nations Monday, but made it clear that progress in resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme requires a great deal of work. In his first news appearance since his election as Iranian president on Friday, Hassan Rouhani ruled out suspending Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, saying, “Those days are behind us.” Many consider Iran’s uranium enrichment the biggest source of tensions between the nations. Mr Rouhani said, “All should know that the next government won’t budge in defending our inalienable rights”. A former nuclear mediator, Rouhani is to take office on 3 August. Speaking at the news conference, he said he called the animosity between the two sides “an old wound that must be treated”.
Obama also appeared to rule out any easing of economic sanctions soon, saying, “Those won’t be lifted in the absence of significant steps in showing the international community that Iran isn’t pursuing a nuclear weapon”. The ban slashed Iranian oil revenue by over a third and drastically reduced the value of Iran’s national currency. Rouhani outlined several preconditions to beginning of a “constructive dialogue” with the USA. He said, “First, America mustn’t interfere in Iran’s domestic affairs based on the Algiers Accords”, referring to the agreement that ended the Iran hostage crisis in 1981. “They have to recognise our nuclear rights, put away bullying policies against Iran. If such is so, and they have good intent, then, the situation will change”.
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President-elect Hassan Rouhani expressed hope Monday that Iran can reach a new agreement with other international powers over its nuclear programme, saying they should reach such a deal through more transparency and mutual trust. He said, “To settle the nuclear dispute, I’d first show more transparency for strengthening trust (with the world) and whenever our trust is tarnished, I’d try to rebuild it again”. Rouhani, a moderate cleric, won the Iranian presidential election on Saturday, ending eight years of conservative rule, also described the sanctions imposed against the Islamic republic over the nuclear issue as unfair and unjustified. The 64-year-old’s victory raised hopes of an easing of strained ties with Western nations, but he used his first news conference on Monday to rule out a halt to his country’s controversial enrichment of uranium.
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On Monday, Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani vowed to pursue moderate policies during his first press conference, after beating hardliners close to Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rouhani told reporters in Tehran, “This was more than an election; it was a call by the majority of the people for moderation and respect, and against extremism. Iran has started a new chapter of moderation. I’ll not forget the promises I made before the elections, but what I can say now is that the era of sadness has ended”, he added, referring to the eight-year presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
18 June 2013
Voice of Russia World Service
http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_06_17/Iran-to-show-more-nuclear-transparency-Rouhani-8574/
http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_06_17/Irans-new-president-vows-moderation-2143/
Editor’s Note:
Let’s keep it simple. Rouhani is taking a hard line on the nuclear programme for two reasons. Firstly, it makes him more amenable to the circle around Ali Khamenei. Secondly, it means that Russia and China have given Iran guarantees. Both mean that Rouhani isn’t going to cave to the West… no way, no how. In any case, Rouhani is a close and devoted disciple of Grand Ayotollah Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini. He’s a solid Twelver, and a believer in the concept of an Islamic Republic. Don’t believe the lies circulated by Fox News and the Israeli media… Iran isn’t a cheerless and retrograde police state (Ayotollah Khomeini’s fatwa on transsexuals is proof of that). Iran has powerful enemies who wish to demonise it due to it being an Islamic Republic and a semi-socialist society. Be careful… the corporate media usually lies by omitting things…not by making things up (although it does lie when it thinks it can get away with it… as most of their audience is ignorant, they get away with all too much). Have a care…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
1 October 2013. Sergei Yolkin’s World. Events of the Week in Cartoons by Sergei Yolkin: 23-27 September 2013
Tags: autumn, cartoons, divorce, Dmitri Medvedev, editorial cartoons, Hassan Rouhani, Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia, Indian Summer, Iran, iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Middle East, Middle Eastern, Moscow, peace in the middle east, political commentary, politics, Rouhani, Russia, Russian, Sergei Yolkin, warm temperatures, warm weather, weather, weather in Moscow, weather phenomenon
Events of the Week in Cartoons by Sergei Yolkin: 23-27 September 2013
Sergei Yolkin
2013
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Here are the difficulties of the week as Sergei Yolkin saw them… a possible increase in fees for divorce, Iran after Ahmadinejad, and, of course, the almost complete absence of Indian summer.
1 October 2013
Sergei Yolkin
RIA-Novosti
http://ria.ru/caricature/20130927/966317786.html