This the first time that a U.S. head of state has spoken with
an Iranian head of state since 1979 (34 years).
Obama
holds historic phone call with Rouhani and hints at end to sanctions
President
says discussion with Iranian counterpart showed 'basis for
resolution' of dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme
27
September, 2013
Barack
Obama and Hassan Rouhani held the first direct talks between American
and Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic revolution, exchanging
pleasantries in a 15-minute telephone call on Friday that raised the
prospect of relief for Tehran from crippling economic sanctions.
Speaking
at the White House shortly after the historic call, Obama said his
discussion with Rouhani had shown the "basis for resolution"
of the dispute over Iran nuclear programme.
The
conversation, in which Obama communicated his "deep respect for
the Iranian people", capped a week of diplomatic breakthroughs.
Rouhani ended a five-day visit to New York for the UN general
assembly with a striking offer to work rapidly to defuse tensions
with America, and hailed the US as "a great nation" – a
dramatic shift in tone for an Iranian leader.
Both
leaders expressed confidence their countries could reach a peaceful
settlement to their standoff over Iranian nuclear programme. Obama,
in his White House statement, said: "While there will be
significant obstacles and success is by no means guaranteed, I
believe we can reach a comprehensive solution. I do believe that
there is a basis for a resolution."
Obama
cautioned against over-optimism, however. "We're mindful of all
the challenges ahead," he told reporters. "The test will be
meaningful, transparent and verifiable actions which can also bring
relief from the comprehensive international sanctions that are
currently in place."
Minutes
earlier, President Rouhani's English-language Twitter account broke
news of the phone call in a series of tweets that hinted at a
remarkably swift rapprochement between the two countries since the
moderate cleric was elected in June.
One
tweet said Rouhani had concluded the phone call by telling Obama to
"have a nice day!" and Obama had thanked him and said
goodbye in Persian – "Khodahafez", which means "God
go with you".
In
a phone conversation b/w #Iranian & #US Presidents just now:
@HassanRouhani: "Have a Nice Day!" @BarackObama: "Thank
you. Khodahafez."
—
Hassan Rouhani
(@HassanRouhani) September 27, 2013
The
tweets, which are published by Rouhani's aides, suggested the tone of
the conversation was friendly, even punctuated by banter. Obama was
quoted as saying: "I wish you a safe and pleasant journey and
apologize if you're experiencing the [horrendous] traffic in NYC."
Earlier,
at a press conference in New York, Rouhani made the most conciliatory
remarks heard from Tehran in a decade and also offered to prepare a
concrete plan for resolving the nuclear stalemate to a new round of
negotiations in Geneva on 15 October.
He
said Tehran might go even further, hinting at a possible
confidence-building measure to be announced at the talks. But it was
Rouhani's tone that was most remarkable, at the end of a week in
which he sought to present Iran as a reborn country, following his
June election.
"The
environment that has been created is quite different from the past,
and those who have brought the change was the people of Iran,"
he said. "The first step has been taken here which is a
beginning for better relations with other countries and in
particular, between the two great nations of Iran and US.
"So
the understanding between our peoples will grow and our governments
will first stop the escalation of tensions, and then defuse those
tensions."
The
conciliatory language marked a radical change from the presidency of
his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and a break from tradition
dating to the 1979 revolution of referring to the US as the "Great
Satan". It mirrored a change on the streets of Tehran, where the
ritual chanting of "Death to America" has almost died out
at public gatherings since the elections.
"Step
by step, we will build confidence between our presidents and our
countries," Rouhani said " With sufficient will on both
sides – and I assure you that on Iran's side the will is 100% –
the nuclear file will be resolved in a short period of time."
Rouhani
rejected suggestions that his flexibility at the negotiating table
was constrained by hardline forces back in Iran.
"My
government has full authority in these negotiations with support from
all three arms of government as well as the people of Iran. I have
complete backing."
Nevertheless,
in an indication of the precarious position in which Rouhani finds
himself, the state news agency in Iran earlier this week disputed the
translation of an interview he conducted with CNN. In the interview,
Rouhani acknowledged that the Holocaust took place. CNN pointed out
that the translator for the interview was provided by the Iranian
government.
There
were also suggestions that Obama and Rouhani might meet informally on
the sidelines of the UN general assembly this week, but the prospect
of a picture of the two leaders shaking hands appears to have been
too much even for the new, moderate regime. A telephone call,
however, was more palatable.
According
to the White House, the idea to hold the call came at short notice
from the Rouhani team. Having turned out the chance of a face-to-face
meeting at the UN because it would be "too complicated",
Rouhani said he wanted to talk to Obama before he left for Iran.
The
call took place at 2.30pm ET, it lasted about 15 minutes and was
conducted through an interpreter. A senior administration official
confirmed that Rouhani's Twitter feed had accurately reflected the
tone of the conversation, and noted: "We'll be continuing to
watch that Twitter account."
"It
was quite cordial in tone," the official said. "Both
leaders expressed their determination to solve this [nuclear] issue
expeditiously. Both leaders expressed that sense of urgency."
The
official said that the Israeli government and congressional leaders,
both sources of resistance to a rapprochement between Washington and
Tehran, had been alerted before the call began. The official recalled
that in his first inaugural address in January 2009, Obama declared,
in a phrase directly aimed at Tehran: "We will extend a hand if
you are willing to unclench your fist." The official added:
"What we are have seen here is a unclenching – hopefully –
of that fist."
In
his White House press conference, Obama acknowledged the historic
nature of the call. "The very fact that this was the first
communication between an American and Iranian president since 1979
underscores the deep mistrust between our countries but it also
indicates the prospect of moving beyond that difficult history,"
he said.
Describing
the sequence of events that led to the talks, Obama added: "Iran's
supreme leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear
weapons. Rouhani has indicated that Iran will never develop nuclear
weapons. I made clear that we respect the right of the Iranian people
to access peaceful nuclear energy."
'Iran's
threat propaganda dangerous for world security' - Rouhani to UN
Assembly 2013 (FULL SPEECH)
'Iran's
threat propaganda dangerous for world security' - Rouhani to UN
Assembly 2013 (FULL SPEECH)
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