ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday held a conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, sharing his thoughts on the stalled nuclear deal talks and telling CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria that the importance of the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the US terrorist list is a “side issue.”
Questioned specifically on the negotiations to revive the accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and recent comments by the US special envoy to Iran who questioned the likelihood of the deal, Amir-Abdollahian told Zakaria that he, too, was facing a lot of pressure from his parliament.
“There are strong people on both sides opposing the deal for their own reasons,” the official said, adding that US public statements often differ from private messages.
US special envoy to Iran Robert Malley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that the possibility of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran is “tenuous” at best, claiming that Iran’s “excessive” demands have made it unlikely to hold successful negotiations.
The statements from Malley follow the publication of claims by POLITICO on Tuesday, citing a “senior Western official” who confirmed that Washington had made a final decision to keep the IRGC on the list, adding that Biden conveyed the news to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a phone call in April but had asked him to keep it quiet for the time being.
“Mr Biden is facing some kind of inaction,” Amir-Abdollahian continued, explaining that from Iran’s perspective the most important thing is to benefit from the economic gains of the JCPOA. “We are keeping the window of diplomacy open,” he said.
“The issue of including the IRGC in the US terrorist list is a side issue that has been magnified by the Israeli lobby and the priority for us is the interests of the Iranian nation,” the official said, when asked about the importance of its designation.
Amir-Abdollahian explained that the real reason for halting the negotiations was Iran’s economic demands, which is not something they’re willing to reduce. “We have said many times that the atomic bomb has no place in our foreign policy," he added. “Our nuclear programme is totally peaceful,” he continued, again asking for good intentions to be demonstrated. “We are not asking for much."
Amir-Abdollahian also told the audience that his country is seeking to develop balanced ties with nations, including paying close attention to neighbouring countries in Asia.
“The 21st century belongs to Asia,” he said, adding that Iran will also continue to maintain relations with the West, “developing and maintaining ties to Europe.” Asked about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Amir-Abdollahian expressed the Iranian government’s opposition, condemning the war against Ukraine alongside recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen.
Last week, Amir-Abdollahian said, he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and proposed a meeting between Russia and Ukraine to bring the war to a halt, adding that provocations by NATO had led to the Kremlin’s actions.
In his concluding remarks, reverting back to the issue of a nuclear deal, Amir-Abdollahian said that the “Americans know very well what is required of them… the most important thing is that the economic sanctions are lifted in an effective way.” But, he finished, “if it [a nuclear deal] doesn’t happen… we have other options.”
The theme of the 52nd annual World Economic Forum is “Working Together, Restoring Trust,” aiming to tackle economic, political, and environmental challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum was initially set to be held from January 17 to 21, but was postponed to May due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. The Davos forum started on Sunday, with Thursday its final day.
