Obama says talks with Rouhani shows possibility of moving forward

US President Barack Obama says his conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani by phone shows the possibility of moving forward over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

"Just now, I spoke on the phone with President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two of us discussed our ongoing efforts to reach an agreement over Iran's nuclear program," Obama said on Friday. 

After the conversation, Obama said he believes the two sides can reach a comprehensive solution over Iran's nuclear program. 

"I reiterated to President Rouhani what I said in New York. While there will surely be important obstacles to moving forward and success is by no means guaranteed, I believe we can reach a comprehensive solution," Obama said.

Obama also described his conversation with President Rouhani as an “important opportunity in Washington’s foreign policy.” 

The Iranian president also confirmed the phone conversation in a series of messages on Twitter. 

The phone conversation was the first direct communication between the presidents of the two countries since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. 

"Iran's supreme leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons. President Rouhani has indicated that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons," Obama said. 

"I've made clear that we respect the right of the Iranian people to access peaceful nuclear energy in the context of Iran meeting its obligations. So the test will be meaningful, transparent and verifiable actions, which can also bring relief from the comprehensive international sanctions that are currently in place," he added. 

The remarks came one day after Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany (P5+1) held a meeting in New York. 

US Secretary of State John Kerry called talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "constructive," saying the Iranian side put some "possibilities" on the table over Iran’s nuclear energy program. 

"We've agreed to try to continue a process that would try to make concrete and find a way to answer the questions that people have about Iran's nuclear program," Kerry said. 

The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 are scheduled to be held in Geneva on October 15 and 16. 

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