Iran's former deputy chief nuclear negotiator says Tehran's persistence in pursuing its peaceful nuclear program has defied US hegemony, PressTV reported.
"At the end of [President] Bush's tenure, the US had lost its identity as a hegemonic power because it did not gain any achievements in solving major international issues, including Iran's nuclear case," said Javad Vaeedi, the former deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
"So Iran's persistence in its nuclear program showed others how to resist hegemony," Vaeedi added.
He made the remarks at a forum about US President Barack Obama's policies held at Tehran University on Tuesday.
The US believes that it should bring Iran's nuclear program under its control so that it can save face as a hegemonic power, Vaeedi stated.
He noted that Obama is trying to create a "global consensus" against Iran as part of his policy to increase the international pressure on Iran.
But Obama has failed to fulfill his "change" motto, and the situation is developing in a way that is just the opposite of what he had promised during his presidential campaign, Vaeedi observed.