Iranian Official: Witkoff’s Remarks Confirm US Addicted to Maximum Pressure Policies
By Staff, Agencies
A senior Iranian confirmed that US West Asia envoy Steve Witkoff's recent remarks validate the Iranian nation's suspicion that the US is addicted to its maximum-pressure policies.
In remarks to Press TV, the official reacted to Witkoff’s latest comments about Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment, in which he suggested that Washington could walk away from the ongoing indirect nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, if no progress is made.
“That’s our red line. No enrichment. That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization, and it means that Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, those are their three enrichment facilities, have to be dismantled,” Witkoff said in an interview with Breitbart News published on Friday.
In response, the senior Iranian official underlined that such positions not only reveal the inconsistency and unreliability of American decision-makers but also strengthen the suspicion that the American side is “under the influence and temptation of neoconservatives and Netanyahu.”
He said some in the country even believe that the entire process of indirect nuclear negotiations between the two sides since last month has been “a performance aimed at justifying increased pressure and future aggression.”
“That is why the Islamic Republic of Iran entered this process with caution and skepticism, but with complete goodwill, and has so far demonstrated consistency in its approach,” he noted.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stated that it does not seek to build nuclear weapons and is ready to build further trust in this regard. However, if the objective of the opposing parties is to deprive the Iranian people of their inalienable rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and fundamental principles of international law, which certainly will not happen,” the official added.
He further stated that the ball is now in America’s court, and it is up to Washington to decide whether it seeks an agreement or wishes to follow the war-driven agendas of neocons and Netanyahu.
Pertinently, Witkoff’s remarks came just days ahead of the fourth round of indirect talks scheduled to take place in Muscat on Sunday, as a continuation of the previous three rounds.
Both sides had described those earlier rounds as “constructive,” but senior American officials have continued to issue hostile rhetoric against the Islamic Republic.
