Stern Statement from Qom Seminary Students Regarding Negotiations with America

From Qom Seminary students to Kayhan newspaper, they have lashed out at the Foreign Minister of Raisi’s government. Amirabdollahian had not ruled out the possibility of negotiations with America.

A group of students and professors from Qom Seminary, in issuing a statement addressed to Amirabdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, state: “The Raisi government and the revolutionary government’s Foreign Ministry were supposed to not repeat the mistakes of the Rouhani government and Zarif, particularly in negotiations, and learn from these mistakes, but unfortunately, to our great astonishment, we are witnessing you following the exact same wrong path and formally passing the ball to the Americans!”

Iran’s Foreign Minister said a few days ago: “If in the course of negotiations we reach a stage where achieving a good agreement with high guarantees requires that we have a level of discussions with the Americans, we will not ignore this.”

These students added in their statement: “We expect you to correct this misplaced and illogical statement as soon as possible and continue the negotiation process according to the policy and framework announced by the Supreme Leader.”

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also wrote on Twitter: “So far, contact with the American delegation present in Vienna has been conducted through the exchange of informal written communications, and there has been no need for more than this and there will not be. This method of communication will only be replaced by other methods when a good agreement is within reach.”

Hossein Shariatmadari, Editor-in-Chief and Supreme Leader’s representative at the “Kayhan” newspaper, in a note criticized statements by several Iranian officials such as Hossein Amirabdollahian, the country’s Foreign Minister, regarding the possibility of direct negotiations with America as “ill-considered,” and states that “domestic reckless operators” in Iran have welcomed the statements of Amirabdollahian and Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Shariatmadari, who is among the critics of the JCPOA agreement, in his note called direct negotiations with America unnecessary and said that Iranian officials are “chasing mirages.”

Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic, also spoke on Tuesday evening, the fifth of Bahman (January 25), in an interview with Iranian state television about the possibility of direct negotiations with America.

Raisi stated in this interview: “If America is ready to lift sanctions against Iran, these two countries can negotiate directly.”

It appears that statements by senior officials of the Islamic Republic’s government regarding the possibility of direct negotiations with America could not have been made without the knowledge and approval of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic.

Nevertheless, Hossein Shariatmadari, the Supreme Leader’s representative at the Kayhan newspaper, following Ebrahim Raisi’s recent statements, in his note sought to appease “Hezbollahi and revolutionary forces” and, addressing Raisi, added: “These statements have caused a wave of concern among a broad spectrum of Hezbollahi forces and those on the path of revolution, and we hope that as soon as possible you will correct your ill-considered statements and remove the doubts you have created.”

In the not-so-distant past, officials of the Rouhani government or Ali Larijani, the former Speaker of Parliament, had stated, either implicitly or explicitly, that Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, was involved in all negotiations leading to the JCPOA agreement, and with his approval this nuclear agreement was signed.

It is no secret that, according to implicit or explicit statements by officials of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, in key matters such as Iran’s nuclear program, holds the position of the sole decision-making body of the leader of the Islamic Republic. Politicians from countries involved in Vienna nuclear negotiations are also aware of this and know that the proposal for the possibility of direct negotiations with America by Hossein Amirabdollahian, Foreign Minister, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the National Security Council, or Ebrahim Raisi, the President, could not have been raised without the knowledge of the leader of the Islamic Republic.

Source: DW