The U.S. should seize the opportunity created by Iranian voters

Scott Lucas writes: In a prime-time interview on State TV on Tuesday night, President Rouhani had a message for the US and its allies.

The President said that Iran is ready for “serious talks” with the 5+1 Powers on Tehran’s nuclear program — as soon as possible — on the basis of mutual respect and trust.

Rouhani was not making any concessions. Indeed, he made clear that Iran will not give up sovereignty and the right to enrich uranium, and emphasized that any agreement must be “win-win”. However, the President signaled that the West could be assured he has the space and authority to reach a settlement:

The preparations have been made on our side. The first measure was for me to decide whether the negotiating body was, like in the past, the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council [which reports to the Supreme Leader]….I determined and announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [which reports to the President] would be responsible for nuclear talks….

We are absolutely ready for serious negotiations with the world, both with P5+1 and the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency].

The President’s office has also used Rouhani’s English-language Twitter account to put out the message that Iran is “committed to international regulations” over its nuclear program. While this is not a new message for Tehran to give, the President has made sure to emphasize it without burying it in rhetoric. [Continue reading…]

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