After a week of optimism, Iran appears to be slightly less optimistic about a possible deal with the US. It’s unclear if this is in reaction to US envoy Steve Witkoff’s recent statements or an attempt to downplay the second round of talks expected to take place soon.
Iran cannot afford to wait for a deal with Washington, the country’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said. What she means is that Iran has economic needs, and if a deal does not happen soon, the door might close, apparently. “Mohajerani said the government’s position aligns with that of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who said national problems should not be tied to negotiations,” the Iranian state media report said. She downplayed a deal and noted that it would take a while for the benefits of a potential agreement to trickle down to the public. Clearly, Iran doesn’t want the people to get their hopes up.
Meanwhile, “Ayatollah Khamenei said on Tuesday that none of Iran’s industrial, economic, construction-related, or cultural affairs are in any way dependent on the talks with the US,” IRNA noted.During a meeting with top government officials, Khamenei said that the talks that began in Oman “may or may not yield results.” Iran must continue on its path either way. Iran, thus, is not putting all its eggs in this basket. Iran is “neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic,” the leader said. “Of course, we are very skeptical of the other party but confident in our own capabilities,” he added. (Read More)
