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Iran's Rezaei says diplomacy can resolve nuclear standoff with West

Iran Press TV

Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:11PM GMT

Iranian presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei says it is possible to reduce tensions with the West by finding a diplomatic solution to the country's nuclear issue.

In a Q&A session on TV, the independent candidate said direct talks with the United States and its allies will go nowhere, adding that resistance is not the way forward either.

Rezaei stated that it is, however, possible to break up the false unity between Washington and its allies.

According to the presidential candidate, Iran should push for dialog to force the US into retreat from its aggressive position.

This way Iran can show its goodwill to normalize ties with the West and remove further excuses for US-led sanctions, Rezaei noted.

The United States and the European Union have imposed illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran over the false claim that Iran's nuclear energy program includes a military component.

Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that numerous inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have invariably failed to find any diversion toward military purposes.

Rezaei made the comments in the run-up to Iran's 11th presidential election scheduled for June 14, where he will face five rivals including President of the Expediency Council's Center for Strategic Research Hassan Rohani, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, and former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi.

Two presidential candidates, former Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref withdrew their candidacy bids respectively on Monday and early Tuesday.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election. Nearly 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential poll.

MRS/KA/SS