Spokesman: Iran Views US with ‘Deep Suspicion' Amid Diplomatic Process
Tehran is pursuing negotiations with Washington “in good faith” despite viewing the United States with “deep suspicion”, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei, confirming that multiple rounds of messages have been exchanged through Pakistani intermediaries based on the Islamic Republic’s 14-point peace proposal.
Iran has received the American side’s viewpoints and is reviewing them, Baqaei said in a televised interview on Wednesday night.“The presence of the Pakistani interior minister [in Tehran] aims to facilitate these exchanges of views," he added.At this stage, the diplomat noted, Iran only focuses on putting an end to the war in “all fronts, including Lebanon”."Our demands are clear: the issue related to the release of Iran's frozen assets, issues related to maritime piracy, and the harassing actions they are taking against the shipping of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These are issues that have been declared very clearly since the beginning,” the Iranian spokesperson emphasized.Baqaei once again affirmed Iran’s complete goodwill and seriousness in the talks with the US, saying the American side should prove its seriousness.He added that Tehran is negotiating with Washington in an atmosphere of deep distrust and suspicion, given its “very bad” record over the past 1.5 years.But at the same time, Baqaei reiterated, Iran is pursuing negotiations with the US “with all our might and in complete good faith.”“Our eyes are open, and our Armed Forces are vigilant because we absolutely cannot have the slightest trust or goodwill toward the opposing side,” the spokesman explained.
He dismissed claims about setting an ultimatum or deadline by the US for Iran as "ridiculous", stressing that Tehran pursues its own interests regardless of such threatening behaviors and pressures.“We are focused on pursuing our interests and our rights regardless of threatening rhetoric. Therefore, such things definitely do not work with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are doing our own thing,” Baqaei stated.The United States and Israel unleashed a war on Iran in late February.Iran’s Armed Forces responded with 100 waves of retaliatory operations under Operation True Promise 4, firing hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones, against American military bases across West Asia and Israeli positions throughout the occupied territories.
Forty days into the war, a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire went into effect but Washington-Tehran negotiations in Islamabad failed to reach an accord due to excessive demands and shifting goalposts by the American delegation.Despite the ceasefire, Washington keeps highlighting a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran considers it illegal under international law and a clear violation of the truce.Iran has ruled out returning to talks as long as the US refused to meet its conditions, including removal of the blockade. Later, the truce was unilaterally extended by Washington without a set deadline.US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Iran of more powerful attacks if it refuses to make an agreement, calling on Tehran to act faster to move to a potential accord.Iranian military leaders have stressed that while Iran seeks no war and desires peace in the region, it will never hesitate to deliver a firm response to any provocation or onslaught against its people and its sacred soil.Finally on Monday, the American president was forced to back down, and announced the postponement of a planned large-scale military attack on Iran, which had been scheduled for Tuesday.
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