Ahmadinejad: ‘I would not have signed nuclear deal’

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the nuclear deal between his country and the P5 + 1 in 2015 as a series of unilateral commitments.

Ahmadinejad, who held office for two consecutive terms (2005-13), before the current president Hassan Rouhani, said: “I would not have signed such an agreement at all if it had been up to me.”

In an interview with the Anadolu Agency, Ahmadinejad stated that the negotiations on the nuclear deal and the resumption of talks with the United States, “must be based on justice, mutual respect, and recognition of each party’s state law. A unilateral agreement, if implemented briefly, will be doomed to failure in the long run.”

He criticised the nuclear agreement signed by the Rouhani government in 2015, saying that “it is a series of unilateral commitments, indicating that such accord is not a great achievement for any party, as the principles of negotiations were incorrect. If we deal with the issue on the wrong grounds, we cannot get beneficial results. So, if it had been up to me, I would not have signed it.”

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Ahmadinejad suggested that the allegations about the nuclear deal’s role in preventing the formation of a global alliance against Iran “are inaccurate,” noting that he sees no wrong in “negotiating with any party, including the United States. However, there is no meaning in establishing unclear terms of negotiations either.”

Ahmadinejad called on the US President, Donald Trump, and Tehran, “to provide the necessary support for the negotiations that will be held to establish friendships, and confirm the principle of rejection of war.”

He asserted that “going to war is not in any party’s best interest. There are more possibilities of cooperation than conflict,” adding: “It is possible to establish friendly ties between Washington and Tehran. If we conduct a poll or a referendum, we will certainly find that people prefer peace and justice. 7.5 billion humans worldwide want the same thing.”