Iran's new president offers olive branch to USA

Iran's incoming President Hassan Rouhani has said he wants to end the tension with the United States over his country's nuclear programme.

ITV News' Middle East Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports:

Speaking at his first news conference as President, he said he was "seriously determined" to resolve the dispute and was ready to enter "serious and substantive" negotiations:

"If the other side is similarly ready to talk, I am confident that concerns from both sides through discussions can be resolved."

Hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear issue have risen after Rouhani's victory over conservative rivals in June, when voters chose him to replace hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The start of Rouhani's Presidency is widely seen as an opportunity in the United States after years of stalemate.

However Israel remain sceptical of the new President believing there is still a real threat of nuclear weapons from Iran.