Ali Shamkhani: Iran has responded to some of Obama's letters

Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, states that the correspondence between Barack Obama, the President of the United States, and Iranian officials has a several-year history, and in some cases, responses have been given to these letters. Obama's letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, which was revealed by the Wall Street Journal, has sparked considerable controversy in recent days. This letter refers to the mutual interests of Iran and the United States against the Islamic State (formerly ISIS), but critics of the Obama administration interpret it as a request for cooperation from the U.S. with Iran. Nevertheless, the White House emphasizes that U.S. policy toward Iran has not changed and that the United States will not engage in any military cooperation with Iran against ISIS. The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council indirectly confirms the sending of this letter to Ayatollah Khamenei and accuses U.S. officials of contradictions in their private and public statements. According to ISNA news agency, Ali Shamkhani stated on Wednesday, November 21, that 'the dual approaches of the U.S. ruling body in confidential correspondence and public positions have clear contradictions, and this method is pursued solely to influence the internal atmosphere of that country.' He added that Iran has 'clear, transparent, and firm positions' on the nuclear issue, which it has once again reminded the U.S. President and 'emphasizes the rejection of a symbolic enrichment program.' Shamkhani ultimately stated that 'Iran will definitely not accept commitments beyond the NPT during nuclear negotiations.' The correspondence of Barack Obama with Iranian leaders had previously made headlines, including a letter the U.S. President wrote last year to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, emphasizing America's 'readiness' to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute. Prior to that, both domestic and foreign media had reported on letters from Barack Obama to Ayatollah Khamenei, which in one instance was confirmed by Hassan Firouzabadi, the Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, who called them a sign of the U.S. government's 'realism.' In this context, the criticism from the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the U.S. regarding Obama's letter rejected any 'coordination' with Iran to combat ISIS. Obama stated that there is still a significant gap between U.S. and Iranian positions, while Rouhani remarked that the internal election issues of the P5+1 countries do not concern Iran.