Mousavi: Agreement Takes Time; Observers Should Not Be Rash

Tehran - BORNA - Seyed Abbas Mousavi, in a televised interview regarding the Iran-U.S. negotiations, remarked: "We advise observers not to be very rash. To some observers who ask, 'What happened?' and 'Why are we not reaching an agreement?', the answer is that reaching an agreement takes time."

He continued: "Furthermore, we must not forget that we are in the middle of a war. Additionally, we are not conducting a commercial negotiation; rather, we are negotiating with our enemy to reclaim our rights and establish our position. Therefore, this process will certainly take time."

The former spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recalling Iran's previous experiences in negotiating with Western powers leading up to the JCPOA, stated: "Recently, we witnessed that they targeted the negotiating table twice. Nevertheless, Iran is negotiating while considering those past experiences and prioritizing national interests and security, ensuring full coordination between the 'field' and diplomacy."

Mousavi also pointed to the role of Asim Munir, the Commander of the Pakistan Army, in mediating between Iran and the United States, saying: "In Pakistan, the Army Commander holds a special position second only to the head of state. Asim Munir himself has had good communications with American officials, which has influenced the mediation."

He emphasized: "Asim Munir holds the highest military rank in Pakistan and is a Shia, which helped in gaining Iran's trust."

In response to a question regarding Asim Munir's presence in Iran in military uniform, the Head of Presidential Protocol said: "Pakistan was not our negotiating party. The Army Commander of that country came to Iran with good intentions for mediation and appeared in his official uniform as the Commander of the Pakistan Army; naturally, this was never meant as a [hostile] message to Iran."

End Article