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By Mehrdad Balali and William Maclean DUBAI (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani dismissed on Tuesday a Western assertion that military force could yet solve a decade-old nuclear dispute if negotiations proved fruitless, pledging that Iran would pursue peaceful atomic research "forever". In a speech marking the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Rouhani also attacked economic sanctions imposed by the West as "brutal, illegal and wrong" and said countries in the region had nothing to fear from Iran. Rouhani's comments appeared largely aimed at a domestic audience rather than signaling any shift away from a thawing in Tehran's ties with the West since he was elected president last June on a platform of easing its international isolation. But they still underlined mistrust towards the West and the uphill task negotiators from Iran and six world powers face when they start talks next week aimed at reaching a final settlement over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.More...