Imam Khamenei: Indirect Oman Talks ‘Good’ in Early Stages but Lack of Trust ’Remains’ About Other Side

By Staff, Agencies

Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei said that the indirect talks between Iran and the United State in the Omani capital Musca, have been “implemented well in their initial steps,” but added that the Islamic Republic is “very skeptical” of the other side.

Imam Khamenei made the remarks on Tuesday, addressing the heads of the Islamic Republic’s executive, judicial, and legislative branches.

The Leader, however, said, “We are neither excessively optimistic nor overtly pessimistic about these talks,” and stressed, “Of course, we are very distrustful about the other side.”

‘Do not tie country’s issues with talks’

The Leader identified the talks as one among the many affairs that had been addressed by the Foreign Ministry.

“After all, it is an action and a measure that has been decided upon and has been carried out.”

Imam Khamenei underlined that the development of the Islamic Republic’s various affairs should not be linked to the issue of the talks, asserting that the country had to lead those various affairs independently and rely on its own resources.

“Let us not tie the country’s issues to the talks,” the Leader said, adding that despite Iran’s sentiment of great skepticism regarding the talks, “We are optimistic about our own capabilities.”

The remarks came after Iran and the US held talks in the Omani capital last Saturday, with Oman's foreign minister functioning as the mediator.

The Islamic Republic has emphasized that the talks were solely focused on addressing the US's unilateral sanctions against Iran and various aspects of its nuclear energy program.

The United States lifted some of the sanctions as per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a historical 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. 

Washington, however, returned the bans three years after conclusion of the deal, and even began piling up more coercive measures on the Islamic Republic.

The US has termed the adversarial approach as “maximum pressure,” which has also seen American officials’ repeatedly threatening to use military force against the Iranian soil.

The Islamic Republic has, meanwhile, underscored that any direct negotiations with the US were neither useful nor acceptable for Tehran as long as Washington retained its hostile policies.

The Leader further insisted on the country’s refusal to associate its growth to the issue of the talks, noting that it did so during the negotiations leading to the JCPOA’s conclusion.

“During the era of the JCPOA, we tied everything to the progress of the negotiations.”

Imam Khamenei, however, cautioned that repeating the process would turn away investors, saying, “When an investor sees that the country is conditional on negotiations, they do not invest.”