(Dubai) Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday opened the door to new negotiations with the United States over his country’s growing nuclear program, telling his civilian government there was “no harm” in engaging with its “enemy.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks clearly set the bar for negotiations under the government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and renewed his warnings that Washington was untrustworthy.
But his comments echo those of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which saw Tehran’s nuclear program significantly curtailed in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Still, it’s unclear how much room to maneuver President Pezeshkian will have, particularly as tensions remain high in the Middle East over the war between Israel and Hamas and the United States prepares for a presidential election in November.
“This does not mean that we cannot interact with the same enemy in certain situations,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, according to a transcript on his official website. “There is nothing wrong with that, but do not place your hopes in them.”
Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, also warned President Pezeshkian’s office: “Do not trust the enemy.”
Ayatollah Khamenei, 85, has at times called for or rejected talks with Washington after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018.
Indirect talks have been held between Iran and the United States in recent years, mediated by Oman and Qatar, two of the United States’ interlocutors in the Middle East regarding Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks came a day after the Qatari prime minister visited the country.
Far from an agreement
Asked for comment, the U.S. State Department told The Associated Press: “We will judge Iran’s leaders by their actions, not their words.”
We have long said that we ultimately view diplomacy as the best way to achieve an effective and lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear program.
The US State Department
“However, we are far from anything like that at this time, given Iran’s escalations across the board, including its nuclear escalations and its refusal to cooperate” with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the State Department added.
“If Iran wants to show seriousness or a new approach, it should stop nuclear escalations and start cooperating meaningfully with the IAEA,” he warned.
Since the deal collapsed, Iran has abandoned all limits the agreement imposed on its program and is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity – close to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.