INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sought on Tuesday to play down expectations of a breakthrough in nuclear talks with the United
States , following stirrings of hope among some Iranians weary of economic hardships that have at times sparked public unrest.
Failure to
reach a deal with President Donald Trump to end Irans decades-long dispute with the West could profoundly hurt the Islamic Republic, Iranian
politicians and insiders have said, even if Washington is subsequently portrayed by Tehran as the guilty party.
A second round of nuclear
talks will be held in Muscat on April 19.
Irans battered rial currency has gained some 20% against the dollar in the past few days, with
many Iranians hoping an deal to end Irans economic isolation may be within reach.
We are neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic regarding
After all, it is a process which was decided and its first steps have been well implemented, Khamenei said in a meeting with officials,
according to state media.
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, who leads the talks with Iran, said that Trump has asked him to create a
tough, fair deal that will endure.
Any final arrangement must set a framework for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East
meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program, Witkoff posted on X on Tuesday.
Irans clerical
rulers have publicly said that demands such as dismantling the countrys peaceful nuclear programme or its conventional missile capabilities
were off the table.
Tehran has approached the talks warily, doubting the likelihood of an agreement and suspicious of Trump, who abandoned
Tehrans 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers during his first term in 2018
He has repeatedly threatened to use military force if there is no deal.
From here on, it (the talks) must be followed through carefully,
with red lines clearly defined for both the other side and for us
The negotiations may lead to results, or they may not, said Khamenei.
Avoid linking the countrys fate to these talks.
Some Iranian officials
have suggested that Trumps business background could make him more receptive to a deal if it includes economic incentives, such as a
potential purchase of United States -made planes or unlocking of Irans economy for United States investors.
But a number of Iranian
newspapers have warned about inflating public expectations with baseless hype.
Why do you make promises about the talks that cannot be
fulfilled? … Dont undermine public trust with promises made only for fleeting media attention, wrote the Khorasan newspaper on Monday, in
response to comments by an official that raised hopes of economic breakthroughs from the talks.
Since relations with Washington collapsed
after Irans 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the United States -backed Shah, enmity toward the United States has been a rallying point
for Irans rulers.
But inflation, unemployment and lack of investment as a result of crippling sanctions, reimposed after Trump ditched the
2015 nuclear pact, persuaded Khamenei to support talks with the Trump administration.
Tehrans concerns were exacerbated by Trumps speedy
revival of his first terms maximum pressure campaign aimed at driving Irans oil exports towards zero with more sanctions.
Since 2019, Iran
has far surpassed its uranium enrichment limits, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Tehran is producing stocks of fissile purity well above what Western powers say is justifiable for a civilian energy programme and close to
weapons grade.
Tehran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons.
What Tehran wants in return (from the United States ) is for sanctions to be
removed on several sectors
Once those sanctions are removed, the United States cannot bring them back under other pretexts
the state-run Tehran Times newspaper reported on Monday.
The post Khamenei downplays US talks prospects as some Iranians hopes stir,
currency gains first appeared on TINS News.
