"Close and Far" to Agreement; Strait of Hormuz has Nothing to do with the U.S.
Esmail Baghaei stated that the recent visit by the Pakistani Army Commander was aimed at exchanging messages between Iran and the United States. He emphasized that Iran's primary focus at this stage is on ending the imposed war.
Regarding the diplomatic process, Baghaei noted that views on various clauses have been exchanged multiple times and that discussions have been held on issues where there are differences of opinion. However, he pointed out that given the contradictory positions taken by the U.S., it cannot be said that the process is changing.
"Views have narrowed, but this does not mean an agreement; rather, we might be able to reach a solution. We are very close and very far to an agreement," he remarked. Furthermore, addressing regional security, Baghaei asserted that the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the United States and that this matter is solely between Iran and the coastal countries.
Nuclear Issue and Sanctions Relief Details Not Discussed at This Stage of Negotiations
In further comments, Baghaei clarified that at this stage of negotiations, the nuclear issue and the details of sanctions relief are not being discussed. He reiterated that while sanctions are certainly one of the topics in any dialogue with the American side and are considered illegal and inhumane, the details are naturally not being addressed since the nuclear issue itself is not currently under discussion.
He stressed that Iran’s explicit demand for the lifting of sanctions has been raised in the text, describing this as a constant position.
Baghaei explained that once a Memorandum of Understanding is finalized, the specifics must be negotiated in subsequent stages. In this regard, he mentioned the release of Iran's frozen assets, noting that this issue must be resolved right at the beginning of the process.
Consequently, the 14-point agreement references both the nuclear issue and the release of frozen assets, Baghaei added.
Iran Insists on Ending the War on All Fronts, Including Lebanon
Baghaei also highlighted that Iran has responsibly and wisely decided to focus the subject of negotiations on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. He noted that there are currently no discussions regarding the details of the nuclear program.
Reflecting on past experiences, he stated that the nuclear issue has served as a pretext for two wars of aggression against Iran. "We have the experience of having been subjected to aggression twice during the course of nuclear negotiations," he said. Therefore, the spokesman went on, the priority remains on ending the conflict.
He concluded that whether the nuclear issue is addressed in 30 or 60 days is a matter for the stage following the current phase of talks.
M.Majdi - seyed mohammad kazemi
