Iranians for engagement with dignity: Zarif to Obama

The Iranian foreign minister has urged the US and its allies to make the right choice between pressure and agreement.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday responded in his twitter account to the video message of US President Barack Obama to Iranians on the occasion of Nowruz.

Zarif tweeted, “Iranians have already made their choice: Engage with dignity.”

He also urged the US government to make the right choice saying that the US and its allies are expected to choose between two options: Pressure or agreement.

On Thursday, President Obama said that Iran has met its commitments under the interim nuclear deal and that there has been progress in nuclear talks between Tehran and P5+1.

“Just over a year ago we reached an initial understanding regarding Iran’s nuclear program and both sides have kept our commitments,” Obama said in a video message marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Iran and P5+1 – the US, Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany – are currently negotiating to reach a comprehensive agreement on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program as a deadline slated for July 1 draws closer.

On the fifth day of the latest round of negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne, a meeting was held between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Following his talks with Kerry, Zarif said that the negotiations have reached an extremely complicated point.

The two sides have already missed two self-imposed deadlines for inking a final agreement since they signed an interim accord in the Swiss city of Geneva in November 2013.

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.