TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the 5+1 group of world countries involved in nuclear talks with Tehran need a nuclear agreement with Iran, even more than Tehran does.

“We do not want to speak about not reaching an agreement; agreement is what everyone needs; of course the 5+1 group needs this agreement more than us,” Rouhani told reporters in Rasht, Gilan province, on Thursday.

“But if we do not reach an agreement, the sanctions regime will not continue like before. They know that the sanctions regime has been disrupted and they know that this regime will not last, and in any event, not achieving an agreement will benefit no one,” Rouhani stated.

The remarks by Rouhani came as the White House relented on Tuesday and said President Obama would sign a compromise bill giving Congress a voice on the proposed nuclear accord with Iran.

Rouhani said Iran’s main objective in seeking a final nuclear deal is to prove to the world that the allegations made against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program over the past years were “baseless and unreal”.

The fact that the world powers have accepted Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy should be regarded as a “breakthrough,” he pointed out.

He said such an agreement would pave the ground for interaction between Iran and other countries, including the 5+1 states.

Reminding that Iran and 5+1 group have a tough road ahead for reaching a final deal before the end of June as there are lots of complicated issues to be settled between the two sides, he said, “If these countries show the required determination, as it has been the case, [the deal] will be possible.”

Iran and 5+1 group of countries - the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany - reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program on April 2 in Switzerland. The two sides are expected to start drafting a final inclusive deal which they seek to sign by the end of June.

MD/PA