Iran's president urges solidarity to enhance bargaining power in nuke deal

Unity and solidarity among Iranians will increase the bargaining power of Iran's negotiating team for a final nuclear deal with the powers, President Hassan Rouhani said here on Saturday.

The recent "success" of Iran in the nuclear talks is indebted to the "skills of the negotiators and above that to the unity between the Iranian officials and people," Rouhani was quoted as saying by Iran's Students News Agency (ISNA).

The world powers have come to the understanding that the continuation of sanctions against Iran will bear no fruit for them, he said, adding that the final deal, if reached, will help the country's economy and solve the existing problems.

Representatives from Iran and the P5+1 group -- including the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany -- on Thursday concluded the nine-day Iran nuclear talks in Lausanne of Switzerland and reached common solutions to outstanding issues in a run for a comprehensive deal by June 30.

According to the solutions, Iran will have to cut its stocks of highly enriched uranium by 98 percent over a period of 15 years, while its unfinished Arak heavy water reactor will not produce weapons-grade plutonium.

Tehran will also reduce its number of centrifuges to 6,104 from around 19,000, roughly two-thirds of the whole amount.

In return, Iran will receive sanctions relief, if it verifiably abides by its commitments. Endit