Military threats endanger Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks: Velayati
A senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says military threats against Iran will endanger the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries.
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“If the talks are to go ahead on track, they should be balanced and [held] in an atmosphere of interaction,” Ali Akbar Velayati said on Sunday.
He added that US officials should stop issuing threats against Iran and do not seek to achieve their objectives through “political hypocrisy.”
The Iranian official noted that Washington's deeds are in contradiction to its words, saying, “If the threats are added to these contradictions, one of its outcomes would be that they endanger the talks.”
Velayati advised the US to stop issuing threats against Iran because they have no justification.
He noted that the remarks made by the US Secretary of State John Kerry during private talks with the Iranian negotiating team are different from his public statements, warning that such an approach would be harmful to Washington.
The Iranian official once again reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s stance on the importance of removing all the bans against Tehran at once, saying, “The lifting of sanctions and [removal of] restrictions [imposed] on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities must take place simultaneously.”
Velayati, who is also the president of the Center for Strategic Research of Iran’s Expediency Council, added that the Iranian nuclear negotiating team observes the country’s red lines which are “definite” and should never be violated.
He reiterated that military threats, contradictory claims and violation of agreements will only undermine Iran’s trust.
The senior Iranian official emphasized that nuclear talks and interaction between Tehran and the six global powers must serve the Iranian nation’s interests.
Iran and the P5+1 countries - the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia – have been negotiating to reach a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s civilian nuclear activities, and have set June 30 as the deadline for the conclusion of the deal.
The possible deal would see the removal of the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic in return for enhanced transparency in Iran's nuclear program.
