WANA (May 22) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Friday evening that while the ongoing diplomatic tracks and the presence of senior Pakistani officials in Tehran signal a “turning point,” a final breakthrough with the United States remains far off.

 

Speaking to Iran’s IRIB News Network, Baghaei stressed that diplomacy is a protracted process and that both nations are simply utilizing current channels to convey their core positions.

 

“We cannot say that we have reached a point where an agreement is close—not necessarily, no, it is not like that,” Baghaei clarified. “The process is ongoing… The differences of opinion between Iran and the United States are so deep and vast, especially after the crimes they have committed in the last two or three months. It cannot be said that we will definitely reach a result with a few visits back and forth or negotiations within a few weeks or months.”

 

The spokesperson referenced a prior visit to Tehran by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, noting that the current diplomatic movement is a continuation of that established framework.

 

Nuclear Technicalities Bypassed to Focus on Ending War

When questioned about which disputed clauses are dominating the current agenda, Baghaei firmly shifted the focus away from the nuclear file, stating that discussions are strictly prioritized around halting active hostilities.

 

“The negotiations focus on ending the war, and the details of discussions related to the nuclear issue are not supposed to be discussed at this stage,” Baghaei said.

 

“The issue of ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, is a very important matter. Also, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the issue of US aggression against ships, which they themselves have called a naval blockade of Iran, must be reviewed.”

 

Addressing whether Washington has put forward explicit nuclear demands, Baghaei explained that Tehran is deliberately avoiding a return to detailed nuclear concessions based on recent history. He stated that Iran had previously engaged in such talks twice, only for the “excessive demands” of the opposing side to culminate in conflict.

 

“Therefore, with such an experience, we must first reach an end to the war with parameters that secure our interests and concerns, and in the next stage, talk or not talk about other issues,” he added.

 

Tehran Defends Nuclear Rights Under NPT

Reacting to potential American leverage regarding international oversight and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to enriched materials, Baghaei dismissed Washington’s stance as “excessive and unreasonable.”

 

He asserted that Iran’s position is legally self-evident under international frameworks: “We are a member of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), and as an NPT member, we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”

 

Baghaei warned that litigating high-level uranium enrichment details at this juncture would lead to a dead end. He reiterated that past negotiation frameworks collapsed entirely because the opposing party walked away from the table and subsequently initiated aggressive acts against Iran.

 

Qatar Enters Consultations, But Pakistan Remains Official Mediator

Confirming regional backchannel movements, Baghaei acknowledged that a Qatari delegation had arrived in Tehran earlier in the day to hold high-level talks with the Iranian Foreign Minister.

 

While welcoming the de-escalation efforts of various regional and international actors, the spokesperson explicitly defined the diplomatic hierarchy, concluding that “the official mediator of the negotiations remains Pakistan.”