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Rouhani renews Iran’s pledge not to pursue nuclear arms

The statement appeared as a correction of comments by Iran’s intelligence minister, which have fueled worries that Tehran could be developing nuclear arms.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic is not after nuclear weapons. “We have taken this stance over and over again since 1991,” he said in a televised address to his Cabinet on Wednesday.

The comments seemed to serve as a correction to a controversial interview last week by Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi. The minister had suggested that Iran may seek nuclear bombs, warning that if the West continues to “corner” the Islamic Republic with sanctions, Iran may have no choice but to act differently on its nuclear program. “[Then] it’s no longer Iran’s fault,” Alavi told state television.   

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