Iranian President vows to abide by preliminary nuclear agreement

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's president has vowed it will abide by the terms of the preliminary nuclear agreement it signed with six world powers, so long as they do too, BBC News reports.

"The world must know that we do not intend to cheat," Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address to the nation.

But Rouhani warned that Iran would have other options if world powers "one day decide to follow a different path".

The framework deal signed on Thursday, April 2, will see Iran curb nuclear activities in return for relief from sanctions.

Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that it posed a grave danger to the region, in particular his own country. He said any compressive accord, due before June 30, had to include a "clear and unambiguous Iranian recognition of Israel's right to exist".

But the White House said the US would not sign an agreement over Iran's nuclear program that would threaten Israel.

White House spokesman Eric Shultz also announced that President Barack Obama would on Friday discuss the framework agreement with Congressional leaders, some of whom have been very sceptical of a deal.

President Rouhani reiterated that Iran's nuclear program was peaceful.

"If the other side acts on its promises, Iran will abide by its promises. If, however, they one day decide to follow a different path, our nation too will be always free to make [another] choice," he said.

Rouhani also stressed that the world now accepted Iran had the right to enrich uranium on its own soil, and that enrichment was not a threat to anyone.

"Enrichment and all our nuclear technology is merely for the progress of Iran. This enrichment and technology is not against any regional country or the world," he added.

Since 2006, the UN Security Council has adopted six resolutions demanding Iran stop the activity because, while enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors and for medical and agricultural purposes, it can also be used to make nuclear bombs.

"Today is a day that will remain in the historic memory of the Iranian nation," Rouhani said. "Some think that we must either fight the world or surrender to world powers. We say it is neither of those, there is a third way. We can have cooperation with the world."