Pax Christi: Iran deal important for nuclear weapons-free Middle East

(Vatican Radio) Iran on Tuesday rejected as "unacceptable" U.S. President Barack Obama's demand

that it freeze sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years, but said it would continue talks aimed at securing a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is currently meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for talks in Switzerland in hopes of securing a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme by the end of the month.

Much is resting on the outcome of the negotiations.

“I believe that diplomacy and negotiations should continue, because that’s the only way out of this situation,” said Father Paul Lansu of Pax Christi International.

Listen to the full interview with Father Paul Lansu: 

“For Iran to have a little more transparency and for other countries to help a little bit to get an agreement which you could call a “win-win” agreement  in which Iran can develop its nuclear energy further for peaceful use and at the same time to have the assurance that Iran will not develop a weapon,” Father Lansu continued.

“Because if Iran develops a nuclear weapon then that’s very dangerous for the whole region,” he told Vatican Radio.

“That part of the world is the part of the world with the highest risks concerning security and if Iran develops nuclear weapons then perhaps other Arabic countries will want to develop nuclear weapons too, … then we are lost,” Father Lansu said. “So we have to prevent these types of things.”