Iranian Prayer Leaders Endorse Nuclear Framework Deal
The leader of Friday weekly prayers in Tehran endorsed as "great" a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, but demanded that the West keep its promises.
The comments by Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani, which state media said were replicated nationwide, are a further boost for President Hassan Rouhani's government, which has been pushing for an accord.
With a June 30 deadline for a final deal, the big hurdle between Iran and the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) remains the mechanism for lifting a slew of sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic for pursuing its nuclear program.
"This framework is great and it is a victory for us as it made the Western world accept Iran's right to pursue nuclear energy and technology," Emami-Kashani told worshipers.
He praised Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the document that laid out the key parameters of a deal, but cautioned on sanctions.
"They eventually accepted to lift them but what the process of the sanctions relief might look like depends on the future talks," said Emami-Kashani.
"The Western side should know that just as Iran will hold to its commitments in the set framework, they also must keep their promises. If they break their promises, so will Iran."
The Friday prayer message is considered as almost equivalent to a message from the supreme leader, who has yet to officially comment on the framework agreement struck in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
Source: Agence France Presse
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