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Iran’s President Says Iran Is Not a Threat and Wants to Interact With the World

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Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said he believes Iran should interact more with the rest of the world to reach its goals faster, presenting markedly a differing view from that of Iran’s top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We are in favor of a policy of moderation,” Rouhani said. “Iran is not a threat to any country…Tehran wants interaction with the world, with its neighboring countries.” Rouhani’s remarks from an event for National Nuclear Technology Day were broadcast on state television, Reuters reports.

Khamenei and his allies had opposed the nuclear deal that Rouhani agreed to last year, and since then Khamenei has been adverse to further association with the U.S. Earlier this week, he called the U.S. a “symbol of dishonesty.”

But Rouhani thinks increased foreign investment would help Iran modernize its economy.

[Reuters]

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Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com