U.S. State Department to VOA: Iran's Government Remains a 'Enemy' and 'Sponsor of Terrorism'

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated on Thursday, September 1, to the Persian section of VOA that the United States still considers the Iranian government as an 'enemy' and a 'sponsor of terrorism.' This official's remarks came in response to comments made by Abbas Araghchi, the new Iranian Foreign Minister, regarding the efforts of the Masoud Pezeshkian government to manage tensions with the U.S. The spokesperson reiterated that the Biden administration's judgment about Iran's leadership will continue to be based on 'actions' rather than their statements. He emphasized that the U.S. does not expect that the coming to power of Pezeshkian's government will lead to a fundamental change in Iran's policies or respect for the human rights of Iranian citizens. According to this spokesperson, the U.S. continues to regard the Islamic Republic of Iran as an 'enemy' and 'sponsor of terrorism,' and nothing has changed in this regard. He stressed that the U.S. is closely coordinating with its allies and partners to use all available tools for 'deterrence,' 'confrontation,' and 'disruption' of various destabilizing and problematic behaviors of the Iranian government. Abbas Araghchi stated on Wednesday, August 31, in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News Agency that the Iranian Foreign Ministry is seeking to 'manage tensions' with the United States and rebuild relations with European countries as an important step towards lifting sanctions imposed on Iran's economy and returning to normal trade relations on the international stage. Araghchi claimed that achieving such a goal requires abandoning the 'hostile approach' against the Iranian government while simultaneously trying to revive the JCPOA and lift sanctions. He referred to his statements in the Islamic Consultative Assembly regarding the goal of lifting sanctions 'especially unilateral sanctions' through 'serious, focused, and time-bound negotiations while respecting the fundamental principles of the nation.' The accusations made by the Foreign Minister of Pezeshkian's government against Western countries come at a time when France, Germany, and the UK condemned the recent actions of the Islamic Republic to further expand its nuclear program, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to Reuters, these three countries stated in a joint statement that the Islamic Republic has taken further steps to 'deplete' the JCPOA by utilizing dozens of advanced centrifuges at the 'Natanz' enrichment site and announcing that it will install thousands of other centrifuges at the 'Fordow' and Natanz sites. The International Atomic Energy Agency had reported two days prior to the issuance of this statement that the Islamic Republic is rapidly installing additional uranium enrichment centrifuges at the 'Fordow' site and has begun operating others. Based on the estimates of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Islamic Republic is currently enriching uranium to a purity of 60%, close to the 90% required for military use, and if further enriched, it would have the materials necessary to produce three nuclear weapons. Additionally, the United States on June 7 reiterated a statement made on June 5 regarding the verification and monitoring of the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic at the International Atomic Energy Agency, emphasizing that there is no justification for the accumulation of highly enriched uranium in Iran. The U.S. noted in this statement that the Islamic Republic's decision over the past three years to cease implementing its nuclear commitments related to the JCPOA and subsequently remove visual and monitoring equipment related to the JCPOA has undermined the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Researchers: Scientific modeling may have influenced the U.S. assessment of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The Chair of the House Intelligence Committee: The Islamic Republic may become nuclear by the end of 2024. Washington Post: The Islamic Republic is concerned about the 'neutralization' of its nuclear program in the event of a major attack on Israel. Wall Street Journal report: The Islamic Republic has enough fuel to build a nuclear weapon but lacks the will to do so. Blinken: The Islamic Republic can produce the materials necessary to build a nuclear weapon within 'one or two weeks.' Axios reported a 'private' warning from the United States to the Islamic Republic regarding Tehran's nuclear activities.