Iran ‘will do its best’ to secure nuclear deal

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani said Tuesday his sanctions hit country would try to secure a deal in negotiations with world powers on its long-running nuclear dispute.

“Iran will do its best for a final deal with the P5+1,” made up of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, Rowhani told a business forum in Ankara through translated remarks.

His comments came as Tehran and Washington began a second day of talks in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear program, which the West suspects masks military objectives.

“Iran is ready to sit at the negotiating table for a solution” to the nuclear dispute, as well as “unfair sanctions” imposed by the West, Rowhani said.

“Iran has taken this step with the Geneva deal,” he said, referring to a temporary deal struck in November between Tehran and world powers aimed at slowing the country’s nuclear development program in exchange for lifting some sanctions.

A deadline of July 20 has been set to turn this temporary deal into a more formal agreement.