Rohani says nuclear rights are 'red lines'
Day after world powers, Tehran fail to reach nuclear agreement, Iranian president says Islamic Republic 'will not bow its head to threats from any authority'
"We have said to the negotiating sides that we will not answer to any threat, sanction, humiliation or discrimination. The Islamic Republic has not and will not bow its head to threats from any authority," he said during a speech at the National Assembly, Iran's student news agency (ISNA) said.
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"For us there are red lines that cannot be crossed. National interests are our red lines that include our rights under the framework of international regulations and (uranium) enrichment in Iran."
On Saturday, Iran and six world powers failed in talks to clinch a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program but said differences had narrowed and they would resume negotiations in 10 days to try to end the decade-old standoff.
In a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said "concrete progress on Iran's nuclear program has been made, but some issues remain. The six powers and Iran will resume talks on November 20."
Zarif said he was not disappointed with the outcome and is "hopeful Iran and the six powers will be able to reach agreement when they meet again in November." When asked about differences between France and other Western powers, Zarif said he expected there to be differences but said talks were "very good" and "something we can build on."
US Secretary of State John Kerry said, "We have not only narrowed differences and clarified those that remain but we made significant progress in working through the approaches to this question of how one reins in a program and guarantees its peaceful nature."
He further added, "There is no question in my mind that we are closer now as we leave Geneva than we were when we came, and that with good work and good faith over the course of the next weeks we can in fact secure our goal."
But he also cautioned that the window for diplomacy "does not stay open indefinitely". Both the United States and Israel have refused to rule out possible military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the decade-old nuclear dispute.
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