required for another explosion in violence, mohamed, nigeria. >> you can keep up to date on our website on al jazeera.com. ♪ ran of today. host americans knew her as sister mary, a spokeswoman for the iranian students na seized

the u.s. embassy. the media dubbed her sister mary, because her head scarf looked like a nun's habit, and she became the first bomb swrn vice president. ali velshi sat with her in tehran. you are a face recognisable to some americans. you were on tv constantly, before i was on tv, as the face of the hostage crisis in 1979, and now you are a vice president of iran, and you said that together the u.s. and iran could work against violence, against radicalism, against militia in this part of the world. you'll forgive me, some in my audience associate iran with those things, say that iran can help solve rad illegalism and world. that? >> speaking realistically, we have to see things in the broader context. we can't get important parts of our history, our joint history.

the united states had a long history of interference in this part of the world, particularly in iran. the cout d'etat staged against the popular prime minister, by the c.i.a. - it's still well remembered. not only in iran, but in this part of the world. we can't ignore those realities. but we also have to look forward. we have to look for the future. we have to see the realities world. today iran emerged as a major player. the islamic resolution has a lot of influence. there's a lot of different areas where iran can play a prominent role in sorting out different conflicts.

reselfing sung issues, particularly deal with peace and security, iran showed that it is a major player, it's a reality which is understood. the government of hassan rouhani is promoting a policy of moderation, not only at the national level, creating a national platform for more dialogue, more openness, more economic reforms, political-social reforms, but also at the regional and international level in dealing with different countries of the world, in dealing with the major issues that we have radicalism, extremism, and terror and violence. unfortunately, in the name of this, very wrongly attributed to the

religion. and iran has a major role to play in the aspects. for that reason it's very important that the settlement and negotiations and nuclear negotiations come to a just and balanced settlement where all parties would feel comfortable with the agreement, and with - would be able to work along the guys for promoting peace and security. in terms of a just and glandsed agreement, in simplest terms, it's a complicated agreement. what do you think just and balance means for the iranians or for the government. >> it's important since the rights to peaceful nuclear technologies, peaceful nuclear energy is important for the nations, and it's important that we see things in a just manner in the sense that other

countries have, should not be undermined for the iranian nation. it's important for the iranian people that the sanctions lifted, the sanctions are detrimental not only for our economy, but the regional and environment. they are impeding our access to green it can knollingies, to enhancement and improvement of our environmental standards, in terms of mitigation of greenhouse gases. it's important for us that the sanctions be lifted, which we consider unjust and illegal, be lifted and iran would be able to play its role in the current very volatile situation that we have in this region. >> may i ask you, because i have been asking people specifics about the sanctions and how it affect their business. you are responsible for regulations around the environment. you mentioned this the sanctions impede your ability to adopt

green technology, can you give an example of how that works. >> the clear example is the example of air pollution, taking the necessity of refineries to upgrade standards to provide euro for - this is a current standard we have in iran. euro for petroleum. this repairs certain catalyst, green technologies which are necessary, and this has been impeded due to actions. a lot of it is financed through trade, through different exchanges that we have with different firms that are working on this area, but also the iranians have been working a lot in this regard. we have an emerging elite of technocrats. iranians well educated, who are working in areas of high technology, new technology, green

technology, they have been able to remove some of those obstacles, but the sanctions have had a detrimental effect. also in terms of the flaring that we have in iran, iran is a major oil and gas producer. the open flares are not only creating a lot of air pollution in different areas where we have the oil fields, buts also producing a lot of greenhouse gases in order to be able to curve those emissions we need access to new technologies, and that has also been an important process, which has been delayed due to sanctions. many of those areas, iranians have moved forward. it's not that the sanctions disrupted economic or technological processes. it has created delays, but we are moving forward in spite of those sanctions. we have been moving, particularly in the last

two years, but we hope that that settlement will create a favourable atmosphere for trade, for working with the global community on issues like the environment, because the environment is basically a global issue, it's not a national issue, it's not only related to iran, it belongings to the whole planet. we have to work on the areas together when we come back, iran's role in a volatile middle east. where does israel fit in? ali velshi

>>

.> >> power politics in the middle

east, and how we got here, iran's first ever vice president sat with ali velshi, and talked about what is next with iran, and the influence in the region, the big question where does israel fit in? pash i want to go back to something you said about the coup, a lot of iranions talk to me about that. the election that was led was a democratic election. you were part of the revolution in 1979, has it led to a promise for greater access for people in the political system. >> that's an important question. we had lofty objections in the islamic resolution in 1979. many were idealistic, but based on the teaching of the - the authentic teaching of the slum, for a

dignified life, for the right to pursue advancement in different areas. not only material, but spiritual. undertaking the fact that it has a soul, a spirit, which also needs to advance. that is the basic principles of the islamic resolution, rain has moved allot. it's great strides. of course, we have challenges. just like any other society. we face many obstacles, many challenges, and we have an emerging young generation who is not directly familiar with the values of this revolution. we need to be able to engage with them, establish the dialogue. we need to listen to their voices more than before. i think that exchange is an important part of the current

dialogue that we have in this government. and it's an important strategy that president hassan rouhani has been pursuing. we have a lot to do. it's not this we obtained the objectives. they were still moving on a correct course. we have a lot of hopes and considering what has happened now in this region, i think that iran can serve as a major source of hope and optimism for portraying a correct, a moderate, a balanced imig of islam, of an islamic democracy, how the islam democracy, human rights, freedom can go along together in practice, in establishing a nation state based on the values, that's very important to be able to promote this image, an image where all

different - not only religious groups, shia'as and sunnis are living together in iran, but different ethnic groups, the kurds, turks, lords, the arabs - are all living together. the baluchies, and others, we have an ethnically diverse site in iran. we are all living together, working together for the advancement of our society. i think that that is a very important example to display in today's world, where usually societies are taken to the levels of violence, radicalism, terrorism due to the sectarian divides or ethnic differences, and i think that it's very important in today's world to society. >> you have drawn a picture of a pluralistic society. iran is a country with

more borders and neighbours than both neighbours in the world. you spent some of our youth near where i live in peninsula. -- pennsylvania, when you think of the demographics of iran you have to thick of the whole region, does it extend to israel. >> i think the issue of the occupied areas this palestine - the regime, this is an issue creating instability and insecurity in the region, the fact that the palestinians have not been able to attain and achieve their basic rights, the right to a nation, the right to - the refugees' right to return, their right to lands, and the prospects for such a

palestinian state in nation are now dimmer than ever. that, i think, is creating a lot of despair. that is the reason why a lot of what we see is happening in this region, i think it's due to not only that despair, but the sense of insecurity that is proppo gated due to the issue. context. i think that looking at, protection, the united nations, they have not been able to take steps with regard to the issue of palestine. this creates a sense of double standards, a sense of despair, and it fuels extremism, radicalism, and creates hatred in the hearts of those that feel unjustly treated, and the scenes

that we have been seeing in this region, i think a lot of it goes back to those injustices. a lot of it goes back to the - that there's no serious issue. >> can you see an outcome that allows a suitable solution for the palestinian people, and the state of israel? >> i think that it requires a courtroom on behalf of all those different states which are involved, particularly the united states, which is the main supporter of the xianist regime. i think it requires a just, balanced democratic approach in seeing the rights of the palestinian nation, and dealing with this issue in a manner where people will feel that there's a solution which is addressing the concerns of the palestinian people. which is just and balanced.

i think that that would serve as a source of hope for many people in the region, and also would help to curb extremism and radicalism. and i think that that is very important because today the emergence of d.a.e.s.h., this very violent, very, very negative portrayal, and wrong interpretation of islam... >> everyone nose it as i.s.i.l. >> i believe we shouldn't use the term islamic state. it's not an islamic state, it's nothing to do with islam. >> there's an islamic state - iran would like to claim that. >> exactly. it should be seen in the context of violence, terror, the messages that it is giving. i think that we have to deal with this seriously in the region, and it's clear that there's no serious determination

to face this matter, and it requires courage, it requires insight, political in sight. and the true willingness to bring about peace. i think that that's very important. there are different lobbies and groups that benefit from war and they benefit in escalation of conflict. sales of more arms. and i think that we should change that. that is a major issue for today's world, threatening the lives of millions, and the future of planet earth. the two major existential threats, one is environment and war, extremism and violence, and the other - degradation of the environment. and the threat that our planet other is facing in terms of is.

>> thank you for your time. the u.s. congress is not the only political body preparing to debate a deal with iran, there's a debate among political factions in iran. we'll look at how their power negotiations. >> everyone has a story... and the only way to see all of america, is to see the human stories... one at a time. get to know the people, their

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politics is local. it's a pearl of wisdom that negotiators should remember as they try to ham out a nuclear deal. politicians are threatening to scuttle an agreement. iranians face their own set of factions. to help break this all dawn, john hopkins university, she is cop op rattive of the nuclear programme, and says a battle is ageing behind the scenes in iran, where old school conservatives are pitted behind reformers. it's written that iran determines post-soviet russia. how so? >> over the past two decades the two groups gained significant political and economic

influence, but they have diurgent ideological belief, and visions for the future of iran. they are battling it out based on the differences. with the reformists seeking to liberalize economic structure to bring in more foreign investment. the conservatives and irgc, the revolutionary guard core with entrenched economic interests want to keep things local and remain the dominant economic - dominantly in charge of the economic institutions and businesses in the country. where does iranian president hassan rouhani, where does he fall in derchens to the two competing sets of oligarchies. >> well, hassan rouhani is pragmatist or a not rate. he does not identify himself as a reformist per se, but his cabinet is made up of technocrats. moderates and some reformists,

and he was elected into office with a backing of a large number of reformists. along with a majority of the population. he does stand in the middle and positions himself in the middle as an effort to moderate and balance the competing tendencies. given the way negotiations have gone, where it seems they are stuck on a number of issues, including the arms embargo, do you get a sense to which oligarchies, the inte grayings ris, do you get a sense as to which one is having more influence over iran at the negotiating table right now? >> well, it's hassan rouhani's team, his foreign minister, the head of a nuclear agency in iran, the oil ministry that is active in the negotiations. his team is in charge, and had the backing and blessing of iran's

supreme leader. back at home, this team has to answer to the pressures of iran's conservative parliament, and make sure that they are defending iran's interests so that iran does notkm out of the position. >> and what is - suppose iran comes out of the negotiations stronger internationally. suppose hassan rouhani and his team reach a deal. what does that do in terms of hassan rouhani's ability following through with liberalization promises in other issues, promises made to the iranian people? >> hassan rouhani is banking on this deal. iran will hold parliamentary elections in february 2016. and he and his team and the reformists are looking to gain greater political representation in parliament. and have a stronger position within iran's complex political institutions.

and with - in advance of the elections, he will be pushing forward to maybe liberalize the internet some more, and trying to issues. a lot of his liberalizing efforts stalled because of the emphasis of nuclear negotiations and the priority of removing sanctions. if he gains a nuclear deal, he'll come out with a strengthened hand and will meet a challenge from conservatives that do not want him to come out in a stronger position. does he come out in a weaker position that iran will be kept from developing a weapon for 10 years. the conservativesar trying to sell that to the domestic population. iran's population in certainly

is tired of living under sanctions and being economically and politically isolated and are looking at the deal as a hope for the solution. interaction and integration with the world. giving the competing pressures on hassan rouhani and negotiators in iran. do you have a sense as to how the deal is going to happen, or whether it's going to get scuttled. >> i'm hopeful it will happen, because so much time and effort and intention - not just on the iranian american front. the timing is right. i remain optimistic that by monday we'll have a deal. it will be hard to walk away from a unique moment. interesting to talk about the pressures.

was. >> thank you today. we'll continue, of course, to monitor the developments involving the nuclear negotiations, and all of next week on tart, ali velshi will be back in new york after spending the past two weeks in iran, she tapes. we'll look at ali's reports from iran, next year, when he's here in new york. i'm david shuster, in for ali velshi - thanks for watching.

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♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello there and welcome to the al jazeera news hour, coming to you live from doha, coming up, greece stays in the euro, a deal is reached over a third greek bailout but at what cost? concern on the streets of athens, will the new deal mean more years of increased austerity. plus edging towards a decision and powers are closer to signing on the future of iran's