‘Iran, US have taken first steps toward decreasing enmity,’ Rouhani says
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in an interview with a US television network that aired on Sunday that Tehran and Washington “have taken the first steps” toward decreasing their enmity due to a landmark nuclear accord.
But Rouhani told CBS’ “60 Minutes” program that despite the nuclear agreement, “the distance, the disagreements, the lack of trust, will not go away soon.”
The United States and Iran have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Deep differences remain over Middle East conflicts, as well as what Washington sees as Iran’s support for terrorism and poor human rights record.
“What’s important is which direction we are heading?” Rouhani added. “Are we heading towards amplifying the enmity or decreasing this enmity? I believe we have taken the first steps towards decreasing this enmity.”