Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses attendees during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Reuters: Rouhani says U.S.-Iran ties could be restored but U.S. must apologize
ROME (Reuters) - The nuclear deal reached between world powers and Iran could lead to better relations between Tehran and Washington if the United States apologized for past behavior, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying on Thursday.
The pragmatist president, who championed the July 14 deal, has pushed for closer engagement with the West since his 2013 landslide election win.
But Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has continued to rule out normalizing ties with the "Great Satan", as he routinely calls the United States.
In an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper, Rouhani suggested that the United States and Iran could open embassies in each other's capitals after decades of mutual hostility, but said Washington should apologize, without going into further detail.
WNU Editor: A few days ago they wanted money .... Iranian Military Leader Is Demanding The U.S. Pay Reparations For The Killing Of 250,000 Iranians .... and now they want the apology. I can only imagine what is next.