Dubai: Iran's supreme leader opened the door on Tuesday to renewed negotiations with the United States over his country's rapidly advancing nuclear program, telling its civilian government there was "no harm" in engaging with its "enemy." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks set clear red lines for any talks taking place under the government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and renewed his warnings that Washington wasn't to be trusted.
But his comments mirror those around the time of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran's nuclear program greatly curtailed in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Yet it remains unclear just how much room Pezeshkian will have to manoeuvre, particularly as tensions remain high in the wider Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war and as the US prepares for a presidential election in November.
Iran hopes no harm in talks
"This does not mean that we cannot interact with the same enemy in certain situations," Khamenei said, according to a transcript on his official website. "There is no harm in that, but do not place your hopes in them."
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, also warned Pezeshkian's Cabinet, "Do not trust the enemy."
Khamenei, 85, has occasionally urged talks or dismissed them with Washington after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018. There have been indirect talks between Iran and the US in recent years mediated by Oman and Qatar, two of the United States' Middle East interlocutors when it comes to Iran. Khamenei's remarks came a day after Qatar's prime minister visited the country.
What does the US opine on Khamenei's remarks?
Asked for comment, the US State Department told The Associated Press: "We will judge Iran's leadership by their actions, not their words." "We have long said that we ultimately view diplomacy as the best way to achieve an effective, sustainable solution with regard to Iran's nuclear program," it said. "However, we are far away from anything like that right now given Iran's escalations across the board, including its nuclear escalations and its failure to cooperate" with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
"If Iran wants to demonstrate seriousness or a new approach, they should stop nuclear escalations and start meaningfully cooperating with the IAEA," it said.
Since the deal's collapse, Iran has abandoned all limits that the deal put on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60 per cent purity — near weapons-grade levels of 90%. Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agency's most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons.
(With inputs from agency)
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