Abdul Rahman
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed on Sunday, February 22, that there are “encouraging signals” in the ongoing indirect talks with the US on the country’s nuclear program. He, however, also reacted to the persistent threats of war, warning that his country is prepared for all possible scenarios.
“Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.
Pezeshkian’s statement came hours after the third round of talks were announced to begin on Thursday in Geneva under Omani mediation.
The second round of the indirect talks between the US delegation, led by the White House’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, ended in Geneva last Thursday.
Araghchi had claimed the talks were progressing well and Iran was preparing its counter draft for consideration.
During an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Araghchi also claimed that it may be possible to reach a better agreement now than the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), as the “situation has changed” from a decade ago.
That multiparty deal signed between Iran and the US, along with the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany (P5+1), restricted Iran’s nuclear enrichment with international monitoring in return for the removal of all international sanctions. However, the unilateral US withdrawal in 2018 (during Donald Trump’s first term) led to the deal’s ultimate collapse.
Military Threats Won’t Work
Araghchi also reiterated that Iran will not give up its right to have a peaceful nuclear program, claiming the right to enrichment is a matter of Iran’s dignity and pride.
However, Iran is ready to implement a confidence building mechanism to establish the peaceful nature of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions imposed since 2018, Araghchi said.
The White House, however, continues to insist on zero enrichment, while issuing daily ultimatums of military aggression if Iran fails to make the deal.
In the last few weeks, the US has increased its military presence in the Middle East region with a second warship, USS Gerald R Ford, moving to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, placed there for weeks now.
Reports indicate this is the largest US military build up in the region since the 2003 Iraq war.
After giving an ultimatum of 10 to 15 days to Iran to make a deal and threatening “really bad things” otherwise on Thursday, on Friday, Trump reiterated that military options remain on the table irrespective of the ongoing talks.
Iran has vowed to retaliate if attacked and warned that it will target all US military and strategic installations in the region, including Israel.
Araghchi, however, hoped that a diplomatic solution would be achieved and insisted on the futility of military preparedness.
“There is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on the win-win game, and a solution is at our reach. So, there is no need for any military build up, and a military build up cannot help it and cannot pressurize us,” Araghchi told CBS News.
Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch
“Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.
Pezeshkian’s statement came hours after the third round of talks were announced to begin on Thursday in Geneva under Omani mediation.
The second round of the indirect talks between the US delegation, led by the White House’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, ended in Geneva last Thursday.
Araghchi had claimed the talks were progressing well and Iran was preparing its counter draft for consideration.
During an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Araghchi also claimed that it may be possible to reach a better agreement now than the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), as the “situation has changed” from a decade ago.
That multiparty deal signed between Iran and the US, along with the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany (P5+1), restricted Iran’s nuclear enrichment with international monitoring in return for the removal of all international sanctions. However, the unilateral US withdrawal in 2018 (during Donald Trump’s first term) led to the deal’s ultimate collapse.
Military Threats Won’t Work
Araghchi also reiterated that Iran will not give up its right to have a peaceful nuclear program, claiming the right to enrichment is a matter of Iran’s dignity and pride.
However, Iran is ready to implement a confidence building mechanism to establish the peaceful nature of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions imposed since 2018, Araghchi said.
The White House, however, continues to insist on zero enrichment, while issuing daily ultimatums of military aggression if Iran fails to make the deal.
In the last few weeks, the US has increased its military presence in the Middle East region with a second warship, USS Gerald R Ford, moving to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, placed there for weeks now.
Reports indicate this is the largest US military build up in the region since the 2003 Iraq war.
After giving an ultimatum of 10 to 15 days to Iran to make a deal and threatening “really bad things” otherwise on Thursday, on Friday, Trump reiterated that military options remain on the table irrespective of the ongoing talks.
Iran has vowed to retaliate if attacked and warned that it will target all US military and strategic installations in the region, including Israel.
Araghchi, however, hoped that a diplomatic solution would be achieved and insisted on the futility of military preparedness.
“There is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on the win-win game, and a solution is at our reach. So, there is no need for any military build up, and a military build up cannot help it and cannot pressurize us,” Araghchi told CBS News.
Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch
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