Iran not after building nuclear weapons: supreme leader (2)

Iran and the West are locked in a bitter dispute over its nuclear activities, with the latter accusing Tehran of developing nuclear weapon under a civilian cover, a charge Iran has consistently denied.

Meanwhile, Iran's former chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rouhani said Tehran's nuclear issue could be resolved if world powers entered negotiations "seriously."

Rouhani told reporters Friday that "Iran has always said that it is ready to hold serious negotiations," and that the issues between Iran and the West, whether nuclear or otherwise, must be resolved through dialogue.

"When the West is increasing pressure and at the same time is talking about negotiations, then negotiations mean surrender," he was quoted as saying.

"If negotiations are serious and based on mutual understanding, there is no need to take such tough actions," he said, adding that if the West sought to make the Iranian nation surrender, it would never achieve its goal.

Also, Rouhani ruled out the likelihood of military confrontation between Iran and the United States, saying that Tehran and Washington could iron out the existing problems in a " win-win" alternative, Press TV reported Saturday.

We recommend:
Military camouflage around the world	Welcome to the coldest village on Earth	Women in the world's spotlight 2012
Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo visits Indonesia	Hillary Clinton delivers final address	Romantic date places across world