Zarif: Nuclear Negotiations Are Close to a Successful Conclusion

Iran's Foreign Minister on Monday, December 2, stated that negotiations are the only way to resolve Tehran's nuclear program and mentioned that talks with the P5+1 group are "close to a successful conclusion." According to ISNA news agency, Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking at the "Nuclear Diplomacy Conference" at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, added, "We have never been this close to resolving the nuclear issue in the past 10 years." The last round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 ended seven days ago in Vienna, Austria. Jen Psaki, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, also emphasized that the U.S. government is not inclined to impose new sanctions while a "joint action" is underway between Iran and the P5+1, expressing hope that the parties would reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of March, after which experts would finalize the details. The Iranian Foreign Minister pointed out that "conditions will not revert to what they were a year and a half ago," adding, "We have managed to change the incorrect perception of the negotiating parties regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's behavior model during the talks." He described the "Iranophobia project" as a failed initiative, stating, "The security atmosphere against Iran has dissipated, and Iran's regional power has increased." Zarif mentioned the "queue of economic enterprises wanting to enter Iran," the "change in the discourse with Iran," the "increase in regional power," and the "greater security" of Iran as results of the nuclear negotiations with the P5+1. He noted that negotiation is a difficult task with ups and downs, adding, "At the end of the Vienna negotiations, if we pay attention to the Vienna statement and the interviews, all parties declared that we are very close to an agreement." According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, "This seven-month opportunity proposed for reaching a final agreement is, as you can see in the Vienna statement, merely a timeframe, with most negotiators believing that the time needed to reach an understanding is significantly less than this situation." In the Vienna negotiations, both sides agreed to extend the talks for another seven months. Mohammad Javad Zarif deemed it essential to change the perception of Iran for the country's future while also appreciating the support of the Supreme Leader for the nuclear negotiating team in discussions with the P5+1. He emphasized that the negotiating team has not taken any backward steps, stating, "The structure of Iran's nuclear program has been preserved in any agreement." Zarif added, "Our nuclear program will continue until it reaches an industrial stage. Enrichment will continue, and our plans in Arak and other areas will be pursued seriously with the authority of the Islamic Republic and cooperation from the international community, gaining access to the latest technologies." In response to domestic critics of the nuclear negotiations, the Foreign Minister stated, "Anyone who says negotiations are nothing has no understanding of negotiations." Previously, according to the state news agency IRNA, Ali Akbar Velayati, head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Discernment Council, mentioned on December 1 that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has approved the negotiations and the negotiating team, stating, "There should be no further opposition to these negotiations." The Speaker of Parliament: The negotiation process is moving forward. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of Parliament, on the evening of December 1, stated on state television that the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 are progressing and said, "There is no reason to have a negative view of the negotiations." According to the House of Representatives news agency, he noted that "there are some significant differences of opinion within the negotiations, but these differences can be minimized, and gradually we can come closer together." The Speaker emphasized that "now we must negotiate," adding, "It is natural that they asked for time and extended it, although they might have reached a conclusion sooner." Larijani also mentioned that "the negotiators can reach a conclusion in the path they are taking, and taking time can also provide an opportunity for future negotiations to advance."