On Thursday, the Washington Post published portions of an interview with President Rouhani covering the nuclear issue, Syrian conflict, and the position of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Key extracts:
On the Supreme Leader and Rouhani’s Authority from Nuclear Discussions to Syria
My government is fully empowered to finalize the nuclear talks. I have delegated the task to the foreign minister….
My government has full authority based on discussions with the Supreme Leader to negotiate any issue that is necessary to be negotiated to preserve Iran’s security and national-security interest. That includes any necessary cooperation at the international level to help settle the Syria crisis, ending the civil war there and to insure the right of self determination of the Syrian people.
We would enter in any talks or meetings including Geneva 2 [proposed international “peace” conference] as long as there are no preconditions for Iran’s participation.
On the Nuclear Talks
If the West recognizes Iran’s legal rights then there’s really no hurdle in creating full transparency that’s necessary to settle this case….
The only way forward is for a timeline to be inserted into the negotiations that’s short–and wrap it up. That is a decision of my government, that short is necessary to settle the nuclear file. The shorter it is the more beneficial it is to everyone. If it’s 3 months that would be Iran’s choice, if it’s 6 months that’s still good. It’s a question of months, not years.
On Syria and Chemical Weapons
We know that chemical weapons have been used. We don’t know by whom or which group. That is unclear. We do know that it has been used and we are happy that Syria has agreed to join the Chemical Weapons protocol, and that is one result of agreeing to negotiate.
On Limiting the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
One of the programs and pledges on my campaign was to insist on bringing a cultural, social and political environment in Iran and diluting the security dimensions of society at the moment.
Regarding the IRGC, it’s an important institution. It helped Iran emerge victorious from the Iraq-Iran war. What the Supreme Leader said, and I have also said, is that the IRGC should understand and analyze political affairs. But it shouldn’t get itself involved in any political groupings or activities.