Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei says Iran is “neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic” about ongoing negotiations with the United States.
Speaking in a meeting with top government officials on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said none of Iran’s industrial, economic, construction-related, or cultural affairs are in anyway dependent on the talks with the U.S., which are being held indirectly in Oman.
“The negotiations may or may not yield results. We are neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic about them. Of course, we are very skeptical of the other party, but confident in our own capabilities,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the nation’s affairs must not be conditioned on the Oman talks. He took issue with the management of affairs during negotiations that led to the Iran deal of 2015, and said the “mistake” of postponing all work until talks conclude should not be repeated “because the country would become conditioned, and everything, including investment, would be held up until the results of the negotiations are known.”
“The removal of the sanctions is not in our hands, but neutralizing them is; there are many ways and [there is] great domestic capacity to do that. If this objective is achieved, the country will become impervious to sanctions,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the first steps in the current talks with the United States have proceeded satisfactorily. He urged officials to continue the negotiations with similar care hereafter.
Envoys from Iran and the United States held a brief round of preliminary indirect negotiations in Muscat on April 12. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi shuffled between the Iranian and American delegations to relay messages. Both sides later described the talks as constructive, and agreed to continue next week.
The talks came after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, requesting that negotiations be opened. The Leader authorized indirect negotiations.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told IRNA on Monday that the next round of the negotiations will be held in Muscat on April 19.
Source: IRNA
