UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is holding out the possibility for improved relations with the United States if the international nuclear deal that has caused controversy in both the U.S. and Iran gets fully implemented later this year.
Asked specifically about the possibility of freeing Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who has been held for over a year in an Iranian prison, Rouhani said he favored freeing U.S. prisoners in Iran and all Iranians held in U.S. jails, but the matter was mainly in the hands of Iran’s judiciary.
Speaking to a group of editors Friday after arriving for the annual U.N. General Assembly, Rouhani said implementation of the nuclear deal would improve the atmosphere to allow progress to be made.
Rouhani started his meeting with editors by pointing out the July nuclear framework agreement reached among Iran, the European Union, Germany, the United States and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council had altered the diplomatic landscape for Iran at this year’s assembly. The deal lays out a plan of action for Iran to eliminate nuclear stockpiles and enrichment capacity for the next 15 years in exchange for lifting most economic sanctions against Iran.
“This year, we have passed the threshold,” Rouhani said.