Iranian presidential candidates debate talks with West

Former and current nuclear negotiators trade barbs in televised eight-way debate between competing politicians

7 June 2013, 9:38 pm

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Iranian presidential candidates from right, Mohammad Gharazi, Mohammad Reza Aref, Saeed Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayati, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Hasan Rowhani, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Mohsen Rezaei, attend a TV debate in a state-run TV studio, in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo/Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Mehdi Dehghan)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The eight candidates running in Iran’s June 14 presidential election disagree on how they would handle nuclear talks with world powers.

The eight debated their views in a third, final TV debate on Friday. The four-hour debate was devoted to foreign policy and domestic issues.

Two of the candidates — centrist Hasan Rowhani who was Iran’s former nuclear negotiator and Saeed Jalili, the current negotiator — traded harsh accusations.

Rowhani accused Jalili of following a hard-line policy that brought about punishing sanctions over Iran’s controversial nuclear program and led to the country’s international isolation.

Jalili said Rowhani’s fear of the West and his weakness led to the temporary shutdown of Iran’s nuclear program in 2003.