Zarif's Response to Obama's Statements: Iran Entered Negotiations Sincerely

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, reacted to recent statements by Barack Obama regarding nuclear negotiations, stating that "the Islamic Republic has entered these negotiations sincerely and will not succumb to the excessive demands and unreasonable positions of the other side." On Tuesday, March 3rd, the second day of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Iran and the United States began in Montreux, Switzerland. However, moments before that, Mr. Zarif, who was present among journalists, responded to reporters' questions about Obama's interview with Reuters the previous day. According to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Mr. Obama's statements indicate that "the United States has come to the conclusion that the policy of threats and sanctions is a failed policy" and has not been able to prevent Iran's determination "to achieve peaceful nuclear technology." In his interview with Reuters, Barack Obama referred to the possibility of a 10-year nuclear agreement with Iran, stating that such an agreement would be "much more effective" than sanctions or military action by the U.S. and Israel "to curb Iran's nuclear program." He also emphasized that the U.S. wants to ensure that whenever the Islamic Republic attempts to acquire a nuclear bomb, it would take at least a year. However, Mohammad Javad Zarif considers the overall content of these remarks to be "unacceptable and threatening" and says that "it is clear that Mr. Obama's positions are expressed to attract American public opinion and counter the propaganda of the Israeli regime's Prime Minister and other radical opponents of the negotiations." The Iranian Foreign Minister also stated that the United States and Western countries must understand that "the combination of sanctions and agreement is not compatible," and if they have sufficient political will to resolve the dispute and agree to lift sanctions, an agreement on the nuclear issue could be reached this week. Iran and the U.S. began a new round of bilateral negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland, on Monday, which includes not only the foreign ministers of both countries but also Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Ernest Moniz, the U.S. Secretary of Energy. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that although progress has been made in the negotiations, there is still "a long way to go" to reach an agreement.