Iran’s Proposal Is Ready but I Can’t Disclose It!

In an exclusive interview with Al-Alam News Network, Mohammad Sadegh Kharrazi talked about the activities and contacts of Iran’s expert groups with the European member countries of the P5+1 and also with the US and the IAEA saying that the objective of these contacts is to create mutual understanding between Iran and the P5+1 countries.

While pointing out the developments of the region and changes created due to the presidential election in Iran, he stated: The election transformed Iran into the center of attention in the regional and Islamic countries and as a power in the world scene.

The Foreign Minister has full authority

Kharrazi, who was the guest of the “From Tehran” program on Al-Alam TV, while mentioning the trip of Dr. Zarif, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Geneva to participate in negotiations with the P5+1 about Iran’s nuclear program, stated: The Foreign Minister has full authority to create logical understanding based on a win-win game.

He considers the win-win game from Iran’s viewpoint as cooperation with the IAEA to achieve the ideals of the international institutions in the entire world and stresses that this issue is not only related to Iran but to all countries of the world.

Kharrazi added: In the upcoming negotiations between the Iranian team and the P5+1 countries, the determining factor is bargaining, negotiating and common understanding. Dr. Zarif is a prominent diplomat who is an expert on international laws and regulations. Furthermore, he has played a significant role in designing Iran’s proposal for negotiation with the P5+1.

Iran needs an objective guarantee from the West

While reiterating that as a diplomat he cannot disclose the contents of Iran’s new proposal, Kharrazi stated: I can only say that Iran’s proposal can remove the concerns of the West with objective guarantees. Meanwhile, Iran needs an objective guarantee from the West as well. In its proposal, Iran has considered the provision of an objective guarantee to remove the West’s concerns more than the usual limit.

He further added: The guarantees which Iran has offered must be seen alongside the guarantees of the West. If Iran is supposed to enforce the additional protocol, but the West discusses international and Security Council processes and other issues in fulfilling its commitments, then we will not reach a conclusion. These negotiations will only succeed when in exchange for every step that Iran takes, the West takes a step as well.

The fatwa issued by the Supreme Leader is the key to the nuclear issue

According to Kharrazi, the negotiations of attrition which occurred in the past showed that the West seeks to kill time and continue sanctions. This is while they accuse Iran of killing time, but based on the fatwa issued by the Supreme Leader, any usage of an atomic bomb or even holding it is religiously forbidden, thus, an atomic bomb has no place in Iran’s defensive strategy. This fatwa can be the key to the resolution of Iran’s nuclear program. In my opinion, if there is no positive step by the US in exchange for any positive step from Iran, then we must review our policy.

Stopping nuclear activities is meaningless

With regard to the previous proposal of the Western countries in the Almaty negotiations, Kharrazi stated that: The proposal which the West offered in Almaty has no status in Iran’s national security and the issue of transference is not accepted. The issue of the closure of Fordow and Arak does not have any bearing in Iran’s strategy. Both sides must attempt to negotiate in order to reach a conclusion and determine a minimum and maximum for their demands. Legally, suspension and halting have different definitions. The halting of nuclear activities has no place in our foreign policy. The lifting of sanctions or halting its path or taking Iran’s nuclear dossier out of the Security Council are among the positive steps which the West can take to show its good will. The Americans had previously stated in their private messages that Iran can have 3.5 to 5% uranium enrichment and now we must wait to see what happens in Geneva. Minimums and maximums are acceptable in negotiation, but what is not accepted in diplomacy is “pre-conditions”.

Negotiations will be “real”

According to Kharrazi, Iran’s chief negotiator has full authority to reach a new understanding with the P5+1. Three points must be pointed out in these negotiations. First, these negotiations are real. Previous negotiations were mainly discussions. The second point is that our chief negotiator is at the level of foreign minister and who is one of the most prominent diplomats of the world. Thirdly, today’s political conditions in Iran are different from the past and today’s Iran wants to experience new conditions.

The West should not enter negotiations with a false viewpoint

Kharrazi considers the analysis of some of the opponents of the Islamic Republic and think-tanks which believe that the new president in Iran won the election based on his personal positions and based on the behavior of the previous administration as totally wrong and stated: “These people claim that the sanctions have impacted Iran and broken its backbone. Of course, this is mainly the position of the Israelis. If the West enters these negotiations with this viewpoint, it would be better if this negotiation does not take place at all. This means that any threat at any level against Iran’s foreign policy is not accepted and we have prepared ourselves for even worse conditions.

The main axis of negotiations with the P5+1 is the nuclear issue

In response to a question based on the claims of some that in nuclear negotiations and talks with the US, other issues including Hezbollah, Hamas, Bahrain, Syria and Palestine will also be proposed and these negotiations will be comprehensive and cover different issues, Kharrazi stated: In these negotiations, the issue of Syria will not be discussed and 90% of the discussions are related to the nuclear issues and the plan of negotiations which have previously been determined.

Kharrazi then stressed: I do not reject or deny the claim that Iran and the West, particularly the US, will negotiate about different issues and based on a proposed package, for if they demand Iran’s cooperation, our country will cooperate. Iran has a special geopolitical, geostrategic and geo-economic status. The Arabs and the US repeat their strategic mistake with regard to supporting al-Qaeda and the armed groups in Syria, the result of which is the arming of more than 70,000 forces which will not be under the control of the Arabs and the West in the future. These forces will rather return to their initial beliefs.

While stating that it is possible that negotiations between Iran and the West will cover all world issues, he said: But the present conditions are not suitable for such negotiations.

Kharrazi considers the presence of Rohani as the president of Iran an “opportunity” for the West to resolve issues between Iran and the West and pointed out: The new President and Foreign Minister of Iran carefully follow the trend of developments in the world and take steps within this framework.

Zionists and some Arabs are worried

While mentioning the worries of the Zionists with regard to the possible agreement between Iran and the West, Kharrazi stated: The Israelis are worried that Iran would reach an agreement with the West wherein the Zionist regime would have no place and their concern is right. A government must have legitimacy to continue its life and have peace and security with no crisis. So long as this regime does not observe the rights of the Palestinians, it would not be legitimate. I explicitly state that some Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt after the coup, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will be damaged by any normalization of relations between Iran and the West.

The US is forced to negotiate with the superpower of the region

Kharrazi pointed out: Three US Secretary of States have, hitherto, stated that we have to negotiate with Iran as the “superpower of the region”. 67% of the world’s energy passes through Iran and if our country with all these potentials normalizes its relations with the West, the situation of Israel would become very fragile. The US attempted to relate any relations between Iran and the US to Israel, but this is not the case now.

Based on the remarks of this Iranian diplomat, today huge developments have happened in the US and the US is bypassing Israel’s capacities. The Israeli lobby in the US has been weakened. The point that the US states that the security of Israel is important as the strategy of the US is due to the pressures exerted by the Congress and Senate and other lobbies. The steps which the US has taken to balance Israel have increased Israel’s concerns. Today the obvious collaboration between some Arab countries and Israel in working against Iran can be seen.

Common threats and interests of Iran and the US

Kharrazi continued: Iran and the US have common interests and threats. Among our common interests are the reduction of terrorism in the region and the threats inside the region, narcotics trafficking, controlling the Salafi groups and the obstacles facing the growth of democracy in the region. A great number of analysts in the US believe that the US’ Middle East policies in supporting Israel and friendship with certain Arabs and the authoritarian regimes of the region have led to the weakening of this country.

Natural differences between Iran-US objectives

This experienced diplomat of our country stressed in the end: Of course there is a natural difference between us and the Americans. We seek democracy based on the local logic and method of countries, but the Americans believe in ‘liberal democracy’ which would not succeed in any of the Arab countries.