No dismantling of Iran nuclear facilities : President Hasan Rowhani

London – Iran will not dismantle its nuclear facilities, President Hasan Rowhani said in an interview with The Financial Times after a historic deal between Tehran and world powers.

Asked by the newspaper, published yesterday, whether dismantling Iran’s atomic facilities was a “red line” for the Islamic republic, Rowhani replied, “100 per cent”.

Israel has bitterly opposed the deal struck in Geneva last weekend, saying that any pact with Tehran must have the sole purpose of dismantling Iran’s nuclear capability.

Pending negotiations for a broader agreement, the deal struck in Geneva early November 24 calls for a six-month’s freeze of Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief.

But it does not call for dismantling Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Rowhani meanwhile held out hope for further improvements in Iran’s relations with the United States.

“Iran-US problems are very complicated and cannot be resolved over a short period of time. Despite the complications, there has been an opening over the past 100 days, which can widen later,” he told the FT.