Iran’s president insists Tehran wants to negotiate over its nuclear programme

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during his press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Monday (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Iran’s new reformist president insisted on Monday that Tehran did not want to enrich uranium at near-weapons grade levels but had been forced to by the US withdrawal from its nuclear deal with world powers.

The comments by President Masoud Pezeshkian, in response to a question by The Associated Press at his first news conference, underline a campaign promise he made to try to see international sanctions on the Islamic republic lifted.