WANA (May 23) – In response to a question regarding whether an agreement is close, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today that it is very far and very close, adding that they have the experience of contradictory statements by the American side and that they have changed their views many times.

 

Consultations on the 14-Point Proposal and Regional Mediation

Regarding Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran and his consultations with Iranian officials, Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the Pakistani delegation arrived on Friday evening, and the Minister of Interior of Pakistan had already been present in Tehran for a few days.

 

He added that Pakistan has played an important role as a mediator, and the purpose of this visit was to continue the exchange of messages between Iran and the United States.

 

Baghaei explained that Iran’s focus at this stage is on ending the imposed war with the specifications that are more or less known, based on Iran’s 14-point proposal, which has been sent back and forth several times, and that the views of both sides have been exchanged regarding its various clauses.

 

He noted that during these few days, discussions were held and proposals were made regarding certain points and phrasings about which disagreements still existed, some of which are still being reviewed and commented on.

 

The senior Iranian diplomat continued by stating that contradictory positions have been expressed by various American officials, and for this reason, they cannot be completely sure that this approach will not change.

 

He mentioned that, on one hand, after a few weeks of talks between the two sides, it can be said the process is moving toward bringing viewpoints closer together, though not in the sense that Iran and the United States are going to reach an understanding on issues of this importance, but rather in the sense that based on a set of parameters, they can reach a mutually acceptable solution.

 

Details of the Memorandum of Understanding and Maritime Issues

He said Iran’s approach is to first draft a 14-point memorandum of understanding, including key issues to end the imposed war, and discuss details within 30 to 60 days to reach a final agreement.

 

The spokesperson said Iran is finalizing the memorandum, primarily focusing on ending the war, U.S. maritime aggressions (labeled as a naval blockade), and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.

 

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the senior Iranian diplomat also stated that the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the United States. He explained that a mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz must be defined between them and Oman as the coastal states, and of course, they are in contact with relevant international organizations.

 

He added that they have had several rounds of meetings with the Omani side and will certainly talk with the rest of the countries because they are aware of the importance of this waterway for the entire international community.

 

He further stated that the international community has reached the conclusion that the insecurity imposed on this waterway stems from the aggressive actions of the United States and the Israeli regime, and that they understand that the responsible action of Iran and Oman to adopt mechanisms to ensure the safe transit of countries through this waterway is to the benefit of the international community.

 

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson stated that what they are doing is both in line with maintaining the national security and national interests of Iran and Oman as coastal states, and aimed at ensuring the safe transit of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

He added that from this perspective, they expect all countries that value freedom of navigation and free trade to understand this situation and help an effective and efficient mechanism take shape there.

 

Addressing U.S. Maritime Actions and the Exclusion of Nuclear Details

Baghaei stated that Iran will continue its work with Oman and other relevant parties in this regard. He noted that the issue of the Strait of Hormuz is one of the topics discussed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding, but more important than that is putting an end to U.S. piracy and maritime banditry against international shipping.

 

He emphasized that this issue is important for all countries because it has both escalated insecurity at the international level and seen ships assaulted in open waters, and it is also important for them as a party that has been the target of U.S. harassment against commercial ships.

 

In response to a question regarding the nuclear issue, the senior Iranian diplomat also stated that they are not talking about the details of the nuclear issue at this stage. He explained that they know their nuclear issue has been an excuse for two aggressive wars against the people of Iran, and that they have previous experiences where they came under illegal attack during nuclear negotiations.

 

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that they responsibly and wisely decided to place the priority and focus at this stage on the issue that is urgent for all of them, namely, ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

 

Baghaei stated that whether they talk about the nuclear issue or other issues that they are currently agreeing upon in the subsequent stages within 30 days, 60 days, or any time frame that is finally agreed upon is a separate discussion, but at this stage, all of Iran’s focus is on ending the war.

 

Sanctions, Guarantees, and Rejection of Threats

Regarding the sanctions and guarantees for their lifting, Baghaei stated that sanctions are definitely one of the subjects discussed in any talk with the American side.

 

He added that these sanctions are illegal and anti-human, and given that they are not speaking about the nuclear issue and its details, details regarding topics related to lifting sanctions are naturally not discussed during this short opportunity.

 

However, he noted that Iran’s demand for the lifting of all sanctions has been explicitly raised in the text, and this is a permanent demand of theirs in any interaction with the opposing parties.

 

He added that this is one of the subjects whose details must be examined in the next time frame, after this memorandum of understanding is finalized, to ensure that the opposing side fulfills its obligations.

 

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson stated that the issue of releasing Iran’s blocked resources is raised in this exact context, and this is one of the matters that must be considered at the very outset and must be addressed. Therefore, he explained that both the nuclear topic and the issue of releasing Iran’s frozen funds and assets are included in this 14-point memorandum of understanding.

 

Regarding whether a threatening message from the United States had been conveyed to Iran, the senior Iranian diplomat stated that Iran should not be spoken to with threats, as he did not think anyone would allow themselves to bring a threatening message from any side to them, assuring the audience to rest easy.

 

He added that the specific mission of the mediator, in this case Pakistan, is the continuation of diplomacy, and in fairness, the performance of their Pakistani friends over these past few weeks must be appreciated.

 

He stated that they have made a great deal of effort, and these travels are in line with fulfilling their duty as a mediator for the talks between Iran and the United States, which they have always appreciated.

 

The Complexities of Mediation and the Timeline of the Text

Baghaei stated that the process is a time-consuming one, reminding the audience not to forget that from February 28 for about 40 days, they faced a full-scale and ruthless war by the United States and the Israeli regime.

 

He emphasized that they must also bear in mind that the history of U.S. hostility toward the Iranian nation goes back decades, and on the specific nuclear issue, they cannot lose sight of the U.S. record of breaching commitments.

 

He noted that the United States both withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and imposed severe sanctions against Iran, and further along the path, it assaulted Iran on at least two occasions at the very time they were talking.

 

He stated that what occurred from February 28  for 40 days demonstrates the perspective and the type of hostility the United States and the Israeli regime have toward the Iranian nation.

 

He added that he mentioned this so that the background of the issue is kept in mind, as they cannot expect to reach a final result in a short period of time with such a history, which makes the work of mediators harder.

 

Baghaei stated that in the past year and a half, the institution of diplomacy came under assault due to U.S. actions. Consequently, he explained that the mediators have a difficult and complex task because one side is a party that both constantly changes its views and engages in contradictory remarks.

 

The spokesperson for the diplomatic apparatus continued that the reason for the frequent travels of the mediator to Iran and the interactions they have with each other is precisely because it is an important and complex task.

 

Regarding the visit of a delegation from Qatar to Tehran, the senior Iranian diplomat stated that while Iran’s official mediator is Pakistan, there are at the same time other parties trying to help, and they thank them as well, Qatar being one of them.

 

He noted that it is natural for regional countries to be concerned about regional peace and security, as they witnessed how the actions of the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran could lead to conflict across the entire region, and thus they tried not to withhold any help they could provide in this regard.

 

Baghaei stated that the presence of a delegation from Qatar was also with this very objective, in order to facilitate parts of the clauses of the memorandum of understanding.

 

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this 30- or 60-day time frame is written into the text of the memorandum of understanding, meaning that as long as this understanding is not finalized, the 30- or 60-day period will not begin. He added that at this stage, they must continue to work on the text of this memorandum of understanding.

 

He stated that the trend over this past week has been toward reducing the points of dispute, but there are still matters that need to be discussed again through the mediators, and it is necessary to wait and see where the situation concludes within the next three to four days.

 

The New York NPT Review Conference

Regarding the New York meeting and the non-adoption of the non-proliferation resolution, the senior Iranian diplomat stated that Iran did not prevent its adoption; rather, Iran powerfully and forcefully blocked the insertion of a clause that was detrimental to national interests.

 

He added that this meeting was the NPT Review Conference, and from their perspective, the text of the document was by no means balanced, as, instead of condemning the attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran’s nuclear facilities, they had addressed and blamed Iran.

 

He concluded that it was natural that they could under no circumstances allow a document with the insertion of such a highly improper and incorrect provision to be adopted, and that they acted strictly based on national interests.