Iran is also ready to redo nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided they are respected by the Iranian government, a high-ranking Iranian official informed CNN on 18th November, but insisted that Iran will not relinquish the ground it occupied before the US and Israel launched an attack on it in June.
Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to the foreign policy of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told CNN in an exclusive interview in Tehran, “They would have to be the first to move, to indicate that they are willing to deal with us under the terms that we set…. It would be based on even ground and mutual respect. The agenda would be made beforehand to guarantee the clarity of the content and discussions.”
“Regrettably, President (Donald) Trump does not exude diplomatic involvement but instead inclines towards the use of force to meet his goals,” he added.
latter occurred later that day on Tuesday when Trump told The Associated Press, “Iran is the country that signals its interest in a deal with the US greatly in the field of the nuclear program.”
“They would love to make a deal with us, and they call, and we will likely do so, that is Iran,” Trump said in a room with some of the most prominent guests at a White House dinner celebrating the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
These comments by the president were also similar to those he had made earlier in the day when he stated he was willing to undergo negotiations.
Kharrazi pointed out that Iran’s terms for a rapprochement with Washington remained the same since the US and Israel attacked its nuclear plants in June, and the country needs the fuel to power its plants, but also as a source. The ballistic missile program in Tehran that he claimed is growing will also be off the negotiation table. Only on the nuclear issue will we talk with the United States, he said.
During negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran aimed at resolving their conflict in June, Israel made a surprise attack on Iran, eventually involving Washington, which initiated attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites, the first attack by the US on Iran.
Kharrazi said that nearly five months later, no one has been able to evaluate the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran.
On Sunday, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, Saeed Khatibzadeh, informed CNN that even after the devastation of the infrastructure, machinery, and buildings, the nuclear program of the country had not been harmed. Also on the same day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that no uranium enrichment was currently underway due to the fact that the facilities of the country had been attacked.
At the Iran-US negotiations in the summer, Washington had demanded that Iran must cease enriching uranium, and Tehran insisted that it must continue with internal enrichment to a level that cannot be used to construct nuclear bombs. One of the components of a nuclear weapon is highly enriched uranium.
Kharrazi indicated that potential talks with the US would not be about enrichment but rather the level of enrichment.
Inquiring whether he feared another military confrontation involving the US or Israel, he replied, “ Everything is possible. But we are ready for that.”
In June, CNN reported that Washington had submitted a nuclear agreement whereby US investment into the Iranian civilian nuclear power program and becoming a member of a consortium would monitor the enrichment of low-level uranium within Iran over an unspecified period of time. Such a possible consortium would be targeted to involve Middle Eastern countries and the nuclear watchdog of the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Iranian officials have said repeatedly that they would welcome the thought of an enrichment consortium, but they must be allowed to retain control of their own enrichment capabilities.
CNN questioned Kharrazi whether or not there is room to find a compromise with the US regarding the Iranian nuclear program, including on a possible consortium. Kharrazi replied that he believes so.
In case there were real negotiations between Iran and the United States, there are ways and means (of how) it could be made so that Iran could go on with its enrichment and at the same time assure the others that it would not seek nuclear weapons.
There was something that Kharrazi wanted to say to Trump.
“Begin with a positive policy with Iran. As it will be good, then surely it will be refunded. However, in that, they (the US) must avoid any form of force against Iran,” he added. They have done that and now know that it is not alright, and it does not work.
