Iran’s supreme chief opens door to negotiations with United States over Tehran’s nuclear program
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme chief opened the door Tuesday to renewed negotiations with the USA over his nation’s quickly advancing nuclear program, telling its civilian authorities there was “no barrier” to partaking with its “enemy.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks set clear pink strains for any talks going down underneath the federal government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and renewed his warnings that Washington wasn’t to be trusted.
However his feedback mirror these across the time of Iran’s 2015 nuclear take care of world powers, which noticed Tehran’s nuclear program drastically curtailed in change for the lifting of financial sanctions. But it stays unclear simply how a lot room Pezeshkian must maneuver, notably as tensions stay excessive within the wider Center East over the Israel-Hamas conflict and because the U.S. prepares for a presidential election in November.
“We wouldn’t have to pin our hope to the enemy. For our plans, we should always not look ahead to approval by the enemies,” Khamenei stated in a video broadcast by state tv. “It’s not contradictory to have interaction the identical enemy in some locations, there isn’t any barrier.”
Khamenei, who has last say on all state issues, additionally warned Pezeshkian’s Cupboard, “Don’t belief the enemy.”
Khamenei, 85, has often urged talks or dismissed them with Washington after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the USA from the deal in 2018.
There have been oblique talks between Iran and the U.S. in recent times mediated by Oman and Qatar, two of the USA’ Center East interlocutors with regards to Iran. Khamenei’s remarks got here a day after Qatar’s prime minister visited the nation.
Requested for remark, the U.S. State Division informed The Related Press: “We’ll choose Iran’s management by their actions, not their phrases.”
“Now we have lengthy stated that we in the end view diplomacy as one of the best ways to attain an efficient, sustainable resolution with regard to Iran’s nuclear program,” it stated. “Nonetheless, we’re distant from something like that proper now given Iran’s escalations throughout the board, together with its nuclear escalations and its failure to cooperate” with the Worldwide Atomic Power Company, the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
“If Iran desires to show seriousness or a brand new strategy, they need to cease nuclear escalations and begin meaningfully cooperating with the IAEA,” it stated.
For the reason that deal’s collapse, Iran has deserted all limits that the deal placed on its program, and enriches uranium to as much as 60% purity — close to weapons-grade ranges of 90%.
Surveillance cameras put in by the IAEA have been disrupted, whereas Iran has barred a number of the Vienna-based agency’s most experienced inspectors. Iranian officers even have more and more threatened that they may pursue atomic weapons.
In the meantime, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a brand new excessive throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict within the Gaza Strip. Tehran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel in April after years of a shadow conflict between the 2 international locations reached a climax with Israel’s obvious assault on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals and others.
The assassination in Tehran of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh additionally prompted Iran to threaten to retaliate towards Israel.
Pezeshkian, a former lawmaker who gained the presidency after a Could helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, campaigned partly on a promise to reengage the West with negotiations. Khamenei’s remarks as Iran’s paramount chief might present him with the political cowl to take action. Pezeshkian’s new overseas minister, Abbas Araghchi, was deeply concerned in negotiations on the 2015 deal.
Nonetheless, it isn’t simply Iran that is dealing with a brand new presidency. The U.S. will maintain a presidential election on Nov. 5, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump because the main candidates. Iran has been involved about Trump returning to energy.
Whereas the U.S. engaged in oblique talks with Iran underneath President Joe Biden, it stays unclear how that may carry over to a doable Harris administration. Harris, in a speech to the Democratic Nationwide Conference final week, stated: “I’ll by no means hesitate to take no matter motion is important to defend our forces and our pursuits towards Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”
Tuesday’s assembly between Khamenei and Pezeshkian’s Cupboard included an look by former Overseas Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who helped Iran attain the 2015 deal. After the assembly, Zarif stated in a web based message that he would proceed to function a vice chairman in Pezeshkian’s administration after earlier publicly resigning over the make-up of the Cupboard.
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Nasser Karimi contributed to this report from Tehran, Iran.
