Zarif: The Publication of the Iranian Fact Sheet is on the Foreign Ministry's Agenda

Iran's Foreign Minister says that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has stated, "Just as the Americans published a fact sheet, you should also express your views," and as a result, "the preparation of a written summary of what has been said is on the agenda." Mohammad Javad Zarif, on April 14, stated in an interview with Mehr News Agency that Tehran has provided its fact sheet to the media from the beginning, not as an official document that does not yet exist, but for informational purposes. He further added that the preparation of a written summary of what has been said is also "on the agenda" and will be executed according to the discretion of senior Iranian officials and in light of the negotiation status. This comes as Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, stated, "The publication of the fact sheet will only attract public opinion, and since the Lausanne statement does not impose any obligations on Iran, the publication of the fact sheet will only disrupt negotiations with the 1+5." On the same day, 212 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly signed a letter to Mohammad Javad Zarif requesting that this "fact sheet" be published. The U.S. State Department had previously published a multi-page document outlining the agreements reached in Lausanne, Switzerland. This agreement is intended to form the framework for a comprehensive and final agreement, which has a deadline for completion by the end of June, two and a half months away. Iranian officials have criticized parts of the text published by the U.S. In part of his interview with Mehr News Agency, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that the main duty of the Foreign Ministry is not to participate in roundtables and meetings around the clock, but to bring the negotiations to a conclusion in the next 80 days. Mr. Zarif added that the Iranian delegation will resume expert-level negotiations in the coming days. Iran and global powers, including the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, Russia, and China, are in discussions to finalize an agreement regarding Tehran's nuclear program that will objectively and verifiably demonstrate its peaceful nature while also paving the way for the lifting of sanctions against Iran.