President Barack Obama gave a strong endorsement yesterday to a new drive for diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear programme, telling the UN there was “the basis for a meaningful agreement”.
Mr Obama said he was directing John Kerry, US secretary of state, to “pursue this effort with the Iranian government”, together with the other leading powers that have been involved in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
In his most conciliatory comments about Iran since the early months of his first term in office, Mr Obama said success in the nuclear talks with Tehran would be a “major step in a long road to a different relationship, one based on mutual interests and mutual respect”.