Tehran, Aug 2, IRNA - President Hassan Rouhani said the entire Iranian nation will stand behind its Leader and rights and will safeguard them by honorable ways as it did during Saddam-imposed war and never resorted to retaliate with chemical attacks.

In a televised interview on Sunday night, he said Iran is not after weapons of mass destruction, and Iranian will not violate ethical values when it is imperative on them to defend their national rights.

Saying that during sacred defense against the Saddam-imposed war (1980-88), Iran did not use WMDs, he added, 'Now that we are not in war, why should we go after weapons of mass destruction? This is not our doctrine and logic.'

As to the nuclear issue, he referred to the religious decree (fatwa) of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution who banned nuclear arms and stressed, production of nuclear bomb by Iran has been 'speculation and delusion'.

When asked about the cons and pros of the nuclear deal with G5+1 of world powers, he said, 'We gained three objectives of establishing our rights, moving out of Chapter VII (of UN Charter) and out of sanctions which was a great target.'

'Of course, the other side says that it has gained victory too and that it has delayed Iran's access to nuclar bomb for one year. Well let that be their victory and this be ours.'

President Rouhani defended his government's policy of reaching a negotiated settlement to the Iran nuclear program and said, it helped remove the shadows of war and pseudo threats from the country.

Rejecting claims that his government has been only after economy, curtailing inflation and recession, health and foreign policy, Rouhani said the country's defense might has been drastially bolstered in two years of his term in office.

He expressed assurance that the UN Security Coucil 2231 adopted last July in the wake of nuclear agreement will not create a national security problem and said, under its provisions Iran's arms sanctions have been reduced to limitations.

He stressed that anti-Iran sanctions were illegal and anti human rights which put pressures on the life of ordinary Iranians and that certain circles that had invested in continuation of sanction have lost their temper over their removal.

President Rouhani's additional comments during the interview will follow.

By IRNA