An Iranian official has denied he said Tehran was ready for talks with the West on its nuclear programme based on mutual respect and without conditions. State television had earlier reported that Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s envoy to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, had announced its willingness to negotiate. “There have been no comments or interviews with TV networks on nuclear talks or conditions,” he later said. Iran has been given until September to end its uranium enrichment programme. Otherwise it faces tougher sanctions. The West suspects Iran is secretly trying to build nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its programme is solely peaceful.
On the upside, now we’re in for a month of eyeroll-inducing Tehranology from our oh-so-sophisticated foreign policy community. I can’t wait to learn what kind of subtle signal Khamenei was trying to send to Obama by having Soltanieh announce Iran’s willingness to negotiate without preconditions and then immediately backtrack.
It can’t be that someone got their signals crossed. It’s obviously got to be that Khamenei was sending a note in a bottle about how there’s an internal power struggle between him and the IRG, and so Obama should urgently reach out to Khamenei to isolate the IRG. Obviously.
For the record, even Clinton all but admits that engagement with Iran isn’t going to work. It’s clever of the administration to hold back the largely futile sanctions Obama’s supposedly holding over the Islamic Republic – the better to ensure they don’t visibly fail before negotiations state – but I think the Iranians cracked that secret a while ago.
Maybe another obsequiousness letter to the mullahs will work!
References and previously after the jump…
References:
* Iran denies nuclear talks offer [BBC]
* Official: Iran Ready for Nuclear Talks With West [Fox News]
* Khamenei Seizes Control Of Iranian Republican Guard Militias, Installs Son As Head Thug [MR]
* Great News: Obama And House Dems Blocking National, International Sanctions On Iran [MR]
* Clinton: Just A Head’s Up, But Engagement With Iran Probably Won’t Work [MR]
* Bolton: Israel Will Attack Iran By January (Plus: New EU Sanctions Somewhat Underwhelming, Still Better Than What Obama Will Do) [MR]
* EXCLUSIVE: U.S. contacted Iran’s ayatollah before election [Washington Times]
Previously:
* Obama WH: When We Confirmed Ahmadinejad’s Legitimacy Yesterday, We Didn’t Mean To Do That
* Perfect: Iran Creates Propaganda Gold Out Of Hillary’s Empty “We Empowered The Protesters” Bragging [Video]
* Iran PressTV Blows The Lid Off Anti-Obama Birther Conspiracy Theories. Turns Out: Jews.
