Obama, Rouhani speak over Tehran's nuke programme impasse

This was the first communications between American, Iranian president since 1979

US President Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani have spoken on the phone, after a three-decade long silence between the two nations, in an attempt to reach an agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Rouhani opened up to the possibility of a phone call with Obama on the last day of his trip to US, Fox News reports.

The positive move comes a day after Secretary of State John Kerry met Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the United Nations session.

Obama had hoped to meet Rouhani at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, but the Iranian officials decided an encounter was too complicated.

Obama said he reiterated to Rouhani that there will be obstacles in reaching an agreement on the nuclear programme and success was not guaranteed, but they could find a comprehensive solution to the problem.

Rouhani said he wants this trip to be a first step, and a beginning for better and constructive relations with US and other countries of the world.

According to the report, this was the first communications between an American and Iranian president since 1979.