Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran is “ready” to demonstrate to the world that it is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons as talks of a potential peace agreement between the Islamist regime and the United States appear to be advancing.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday afternoon that an “agreement has been largely negotiated” with what remains of the Iranian regime. While the president did not divulge the specifics of the deal, reports emerged from U.S. officials briefing that negotiators for the Mullahs had intimated their willingness to give up their nuclear programme and to hand over their enriched uranium.
Although Tehran has yet to officially confirm the details of the planned memorandum of understanding, Iranian President Pezeshkian indicated that his government would be willing to make such a deal.
In comments reported by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (INRA) on Sunday, Pezeshkian said: “Prior to the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s late Leader, we declared—and we reiterate now—that we are ready to assure the world we do not seek nuclear weapons.”
Pezeshkian went on to claim that Tehran does not seek to create regional instability, but did not elaborate on what measures the regime would be willing to take to demonstrate its commitment to not acquiring a nuke.
Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the regime was in the final stages of reaching a memorandum of understanding with the United States.
“We are in the stage of finalizing a memorandum of understanding, and the issues being discussed, as I mentioned before, are generally focused on ending the war,” he said.
Yet, Baqaei downplayed the idea that Iran’s nuclear programme is on the table, saying: “We know that our nuclear issue has been a pretext for two wars against the Iranian people, but we responsibly and wisely decided to prioritize and focus at this stage on an issue that is urgent for all of us, which is ending the war on all fronts — I emphasize, including Lebanon.”
However, according to CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs, Washington is under the impression that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since reportedly being injured during the opening salvo of Operation Epic Fury, is said to have agreed on the principles of a peace deal presented by the White House, including the disposal of its enriched uranium.
U.S. officials expressed confidence in their ability to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Speaking on the sidelines of his diplomatic mission to India on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the “ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
“We think we’ve made some progress on the outline of something that, if it works, could give us that outcome,” Rubio said, while cautioning that any agreement would still require “full Iranian acceptance, and then compliance.”
Rubio said that “there is no one who has been stronger on this issue than President Trump,” adding: “The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd.”
President Trump also reiterated his position on Sunday that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, which he said they were on the path toward as a result of the Iran deal signed by former President Barack Obama and that any agreement signed by him would be the “exact opposite”.
“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed,” he wrote.
“Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”