Updated 01:12 a.m. Moscow time.
UNITED NATIONS, September 27 (RIA Novosti) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday that all sanctions against Iran, including the ones, adopted by the United Nations Security Council, are illegal.
“We are discussing sanctions but we have to understand that all sanctions are illegal, both unilateral US sanction and multilateral EU sanctions as well as the ones based on UNSC resolution,” Rouhani told reporters in New York, where he attended the UN General Assembly.
"First and foremost, there must be no provisional conditions and sanctions. This has never been constructive," the Iranian leader said.
President Rouhani also vowed that Tehran will never abandon its nuclear program.
"Iran has never sought [acquiring] a nuclear weapon and will never seek it. It will proceed with a peaceful nuclear program," he said.
He added that despite having certain difficulties, the talks have been significantly successful.
"We succeeded in reaching a temporary agreement in Geneva. After six months, we achieved it. After 12 years of ups and downs, we have to look ahead," Rouhani said.
The West and its allies accuse Iran of attempting to develop a nuclear weapon under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran argues that its nuclear development has only peaceful implications, such as meeting growing energy needs.
During the 2013 Geneva talks, international mediators agreed to reach a deal guaranteeing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program by July 2014. The deadline for the agreement was later postponed to November 2014.
The United Nations, Washington and Brussels have imposed economic sanctions against Iran over the country's nuclear program, which have significantly hit the Iranian economy. The sanctions were partially lifted, following the talks between Tehran and international mediation group, held in Geneva in November 2013. The deadline for a long-term agreement on Iran's nuclear program is scheduled at November 2014.
