Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani is saying that his country’s nuclear deal reflects the nation’s will. Photo: Reuters

President Hassan Rouhani defended Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers after it came under attack from conservatives at home, arguing yesterday it reflected the nation’s will and was “more valuable” than carping over the details.

While many Iranians hope last week’s agreement will bring an end to sanctions and deliver prosperity, the elite Revolutionary Guards military force and conservative lawmakers have said it endangers the country’s security.

“This is a new page in history,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on television, reiterating that the deal had launched a phase of reconciliation with the outside world.

Pinning his authority to the fate of the agreement, Rouhani added that this new era had not begun when it was reached in Vienna on July 14 but rather on August. 4, 2013, the day Iranians elected him to solve the nuclear dispute.

The deal imposes curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for an easing of the international sanctions which have badly hurt its economy.

Iranian conservatives are not the only group unhappy with it. In the US, Republicans who control Congress have also lined up against the agreement, although President Barack Obama says he will veto any congressional objection.

Rouhani says new era began when Iranians elected him to solve nuclear dispute

Meanwhile in Jeddah, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters that his country is hoping that the deal will help to curb rather than expand “Iran’s interference in the region’s affairs”.

“We hope that Iran will make use of the deal’s fruits to re-build their country and to improve their people’s quality of living, not to use it to conduct more subversion in the region.”

Jubeir added that any agreement should guarantee Iran’s inability to get nuclear weapons and allow inspection of “all locations including the military locations”.

Iran denies the nuclear programme aims to produce weapons.

The Revolutionary Guards have made it clear they will not permit any inspection of their military sites, and will not bow to any restriction on Iran’s missile programme.

European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, who helped to broker the agreement, will visit Riyadh on Monday and Tehran on Tuesday next week. In Riyadh, Mogherini will meet Jubeir to discuss “regional issues” following the Vienna deal, an EU statement said.