The White House said Sunday’s inauguration of new Iranian President Hassan Rohani, who last week called Israel “a wound for years on the body of the Muslim world,” presents an opportunity for engagement with Iran.

“The inauguration of President Rouhani presents an opportunity for Iran to act quickly to resolve the international community’s deep concerns over Iran’s nuclear program,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

“Should this new government choose to engage substantively and seriously to meet its international obligations and find a peaceful solution to this issue, it will find a willing partner in the United States,” Carney added.

Iranian Press TV last week quoted Rouhani as saying about Israel, “After all, in our region there has been a wound for years on the body of the Muslim world under the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the beloved al-Quds,” Press TV quoted Rouhani as saying.

Also last week, a new Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) report revealed that Iran has “taken many actions that have compounded suspicions that it has not stopped its uranium laser enrichment activities,” despite claiming in 2003 that it had abandoned this process.