Rouhani: Nuclear Deal Accepts Iran Enrichment, Cracks Sanctions

President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers signaled an acceptance of uranium enrichment in Iran and that punitive sanctions were starting to crumble.

"Iran's right to uranium enrichment on its soil was accepted in this nuclear deal by world powers," he said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

"The structure of the sanctions against Iran has begun to crack," said Rouhani, referring to Western punitive sanctions over Iran's nuclear program, while adding that the "Iranian nation has never sought nuclear weapons."

Earlier, Rouhani said the agreement would "open new horizons.”

"Constructive engagement (in addition to) tireless efforts by negotiating teams are to open new horizons," Rouhani said on Twitter after intensive talks in Geneva produced a long-elusive accord.

Rouhani said the deal had been made possible due to "Iranian people's vote for moderation,” referring to his surprise election victory in June against a pool of conservatives.

The historic deal came after five days of intensive negotiations between Iranian interlocutors and high-ranking delegations from the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany in the grouping known as the P5+1.

The talks had hit snags over a few points of difference, including Iran's insistence to have what it calls its "right" to enrich uranium to be recognized by the six major powers.

The White House said such a right was not inserted in the deal, while a senior Iranian negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, said Iran's "enrichment program" had been recognized.

His boss Mohammad Javad Zarif speaking to Iranian journalists shed some light on the issue.

"This right does not need to be independently recognized. Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and the recognition is included in the article" four of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"The sanctions are being reduced," Zarif said in the remarks reported by Iranian media, adding that the reduction would be implemented within "two or three weeks.”

Zarif also said Iran's cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog would increase over the next six month, the period for the interim agreement.

Also Sunday, Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed the "achievement" of the country's negotiating team in clinching the deal with world powers, Fars news agency reported.

"The nuclear negotiating team should be thanked and appreciated for this achievement. God's grace and the support of the Iranian nation were the reasons behind this success," Fars quoted Khamenei as saying.

"Resistance against excessive demands should be the criteria for (nuclear) officials," he added.