Iran rejects Obama boast that sanctions forced nuclear deal

TEHRAN, Jan 30 (AFP): Iran on Thursday dismissed as "unrealistic and unconstructive" comments by US President Barack Obama that international sanctions linked to its nuclear programme had forced Tehran to the negotiating table.

"The delusion of sanctions having an effect on Iran's motivation for nuclear negotiations is based on a false narration of history," foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.

Obama, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, said US and international pressure had led to the interim deal struck in November between Iran and six global powers, under which Tehran agreed to scale back uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief.

"American diplomacy, backed by pressure, has halted the progress of Iran's nuclear programme and rolled parts of that programme back," Obama said.

"The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible," he added.

Afkham, in comments posted on the IRIB website, dismissed Obama's comments.

"It is a totally wrong interpretation of Tehran's interest to create an opportunity for Western countries to have another kind of relation with the Iranian nation," she said.

Afkham also rejected Obama's assertion that diplomacy had opened a window which could forestall any possible nuclear weapons drive by Iran.

"America considers preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon to be its biggest achievement, but it is wrong since Iran has never sought to obtain a nuclear weapon and will never do so in future," she said.