“Empire – Iran and the US: Diplomatic Enrichment,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Marwan Bishara, Al-Jazeera English, January 1, 2014.
Tag: Negotiations
The Long Way towards Middle East Peace
“The Long Way towards Middle East Peace,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Manuel Almeida, Asharq Al Awsat, December 14, 2013.
Iran and the nuclear agreement: Trust but verify
The Joint Plan of Action signed in Geneva represents a serious step toward defusing the longstanding dispute between Iran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program. Both sides negotiated seriously and in good faith, overcoming substantial problems while achieving an important agreement.
For the interim agreement to work, however, both sides need to commit unequivocally to fully meeting the obligations on time. There is no room for delays, obfuscation, excuses.
This is not simply a matter of building trust or goodwill. Yes, an interim agreement has been reached, but with 30-plus years of deep distrust and enmity between Iran and the West as the backdrop. There is no sugarcoating the distrust or sense of victimization that pervades this agreement, and the feeling on both sides that the other will not fulfill its obligations or, more bluntly, will cheat.
“Iran and the nuclear agreement: Trust but verify,” Daniel Kurtzer, Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Thomas Pickering, Al-Monitor, December 6, 2013.
International interests in Middle East security and Non-Proliferation (Video)
“International interests in Middle East security and Non-Proliferation,” presentation at the Manama Dialogue, December 8, 2013. (Video)
Watch Speech [starting at 41:50 minute]
Watch Mousavian’s statement to US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
The committee to save Syria
All parties should support U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s efforts. Geneva 2 talks could be productive if all concerned stakeholders, including Iran, Assad and opposition leaders, are included. The group should call for a genuine cease-fire backed by regional and international powers. Participants must agree on several further principles and goals. First, there must be concerted effort to prevent Syria’s disintegration through measures that mitigate sectarian vengeance. Key government, military and security structures must be retained, while terrorist and extremist elements must be marginalized. All parties to the talks should back robust humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of civilians. The parties should also consider the establishment of a regional cooperation mechanism to address current and future security challenges. The Syrian conflict has polarized the country; to foster national unity, therefore, there is a need for a forum for national dialogue. Finally, parties to the talks should support a new democracy by holding free and fair elections for the presidency, parliament and a committee to draw a new constitution — administered and supervised by the United Nations.
Geneva 2 offers the prospect of a political solution to the Syrian conflict. But if the talks fail, the Syrian conflict can escalate and spill over across the region. Parties to the talks have a responsibility not to allow that to happen.
“The committee to save Syria,” Hossein Mousavian, Al Jazeera America, November 25, 2013.
Beyond Iran’s nuclear deal
In recent years, Western countries have made several foreign policy miscalculations arising from over reliance on simplistic information and rationales, leading to misunderstanding of the other side’s culture and intentions, while also misjudging the readiness of their own citizens to pay with their lives and treasure.
This results in policies that are mismatched with a nation’s ability to respond correctly to the changing environment and circumstances — requiring the active misleading of the public with false and manipulated information.
In the current nuclear crisis with Iran, the West was in danger of repeating some of the same mistakes.
“Beyond Iran’s nuclear deal,” Hossein Mousavian, Kyodo News, November 26, 2013.
France makes historical mistake blocking Iranian nuclear deal (Video)
“France makes historical mistake blocking Iranian nuclear deal,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Russia Today, November 19, 2013. (Video)
It was not sanctions that brought Iran to the table
As Iran meets world powers in Geneva today for this month’s second round of talks on its nuclear programme, there is much self-congratulation about the supposed effectiveness of the sanctions after decades of intransigence.
But the idea that it is sanctions that have brought Tehran to the table is wrong. The real cause is the desire of new President Hassan Rouhani to reach a rapprochement with the US, the EU, its neighbours and other world powers, alongside the fact that the US red line has changed from “no enrichment of uranium” to “no nuclear bomb”.
“It was not sanctions that brought Iran to the table,” Hossein Mousavian, Financial Times, November 19, 2013.
Nuclear Deal With Iran Nears Finish Line
“Nuclear Deal With Iran Nears Finish Line,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Paul D. Shinkman, November 8, 2013.
7 Reasons Iran nuclear deal a win-win for all parties
The negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program held in Geneva, Nov. 7–9, made unprecedented progress toward an agreement. US Secretary of State John Kerry announced at the conclusion of the talks, “We came to Geneva to narrow the differences, and I can tell you without any reservations, we made significant progress. It takes time to build confidence between countries that have really been at odds with each other for a long time now.”
The French position, however, surprised everyone. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that a rush to an agreement would be a “fool’s game.” Informed sources told Al-Monitor that Britain, China, Germany, Russia, and the United States and Iran had been amenable to signing a draft agreement but that Paris then moved to block the deal. There are 7 reasons to help France, the US Congress, Israel and some of the Arab states rethink their position, which is blocking a win-win deal.
“7 Reasons Iran nuclear deal a win-win for all parties,” Hossein Mousavian, Al-Monitor, November 9, 2013.
