President Hassan Rouhani has once again reaffirmed Iran's long-held stance that the Islamic Republic does not need to develop a "nuclear bomb" as it gains its power from "a great and dedicated nation".
Speaking in an address to the people of the central city of Isfahan on Wednesday, Rouhani said, "We do not need an atomic bomb; we have a great, dedicated and united nation; we have smart young people who have managed to send satellites into space despite all the pressure and sanctions," Fars news agency reported.
"The Iranian nation has no fear of sanctions and will continue making strides toward development with full force."
The president's remarks came as Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) are in talks on a final deal to end a 12-year dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
On Tuesday, the president told reporters that Tehran and the six major powers have managed to bridge some of their differences.
"In certain cases there were a lot of gaps and differences of opinion, but the differences have narrowed at the moment."
He also expressed satisfaction with the pace of the developments in the nuclear negotiations.
"Fortunately, the trend (of the talks) is proceeding within the framework set by" Iran, Rouhani said, adding that the West seems to have come to the understanding that it needs to recognize the Iranian nation's rights.
