Moderate tone and rejection of nuclear weapons. Commitment to dialogue . The sanctions do not affect the political elites , but the common people. No use of force in Syria. Obama expresses appreciation. Hollande shakes hands with Rouhani . For Israel , the speech of the new president of Iran is " full of hypocrisy."

New York (AsiaNews / Agencies ) - The new president of Iran Hassan Rouhani says that Iran " absolutely no threat to the world or the region " that his country is not interested in owning " nuclear weapons " and that he would immediately engage in " fruitful " dialogue on its peaceful nuclear program .

With a moderate and new tone, very different from that of his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejiad, Rouhani addressed the UN General Assembly that opened yesterday, saying that " Nuclear weapon and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defence doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions. Our national interests make it imperative that we remove any and all reasonable concerns about Iran's peaceful nuclear programme".

Rouhani said Tehran was prepared to engage "immediately in time-bound and result-oriented talks to build mutual confidence and removal of mutual uncertainties with full transparency".

There was much anticipation for this speech, after the first steps of the Rouhani Presidency, who seems to distance himself from the style and threats of his predecessor who denied the Holocaust and wished for the destruction of Israel in favor of the Palestinians.

Iran is a major supporter of Syria. Yesterday Rouhani condemned the use of chemical weapons and stated that "the greatest threat to the region" is now the possibility that such weapons fall into the hands of extremist groups.

He expressed satisfaction that Syria has agreed to destroy its arsenal and warned that " an illegitimate and ineffective threat to use or the actual use of force will only lead to further exacerbation of violence and crisis in the region."

The Iranian president also criticized the use of international sanctions against his country , which made ​​life difficult and commerce, although Iran is the fourth largest oil producer in the world. "These sanctions are violent - pure and simple," he said, adding that it was not political elites that were affected "but rather... the common people."

U.S. President Barack Obama , who spoke a few hours before Rouhani , said he was " encouraged" by the moderate line of his Iranian counterpart , and wants to establish " diplomatic channels " , but insisted that the U.S. still wants Iran to " submit it to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Resolutions of the UN Security Council ." Obama has not had the opportunity to shake hands or meet with Rouhani , in a symbolic gesture of easing tension after more than 30 years of diplomatic rupture . On the other hand , the French president , François Hollande became the first Western leader has shake hands with the new president of Iran. He also said that he expects "concrete actions" by Iran in the cancellation of any possible military nuclear program .

Israel was more skeptical of the Rouhani speech. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , in an e-mailed statement said that his speech was a " cynical ... full of hypocrisy."

The test will be tomorrow, when the Iranian Foreign Minister , Mohammad Javad Zarif , will discuss its nuclear program with John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State , together with the other four permanent members of the Security Council - China, Russia, France, Great Britain - and Germany .

 

• IRAN
• USA
• UN
• SYRIA
• Rouhni
• nuclear
• program
• israel