Iran establishes requirements for participating in US negotiations in Islamabad

Tehran’s negotiating strategy is solely driven by national interest and security concerns, according to Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee.

Azizi responded that Iran will act “based on national interests” and take all necessary measures to protect the nation’s security and strategic position when asked about participation in the Islamabad negotiations.

He stated that Iran sees the negotiations as an extension of the ongoing conflict and that they are strongly related to wider regional issues.

He declared, “We see the current negotiations as a continuation of the battlefield.”

“The negotiation arena is also an opportunity for us if they result in outcomes that support what has been accomplished on the battlefield. But not if the Americans want to use a bullying strategy to turn this into a field of excessive expectations.

Azizi, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), went on to say that Iran is open to additional negotiations with the United States, but not “at any cost” or under demands made unilaterally by Washington.

He emphasised that any negotiation approach must respect Iran’s established “red lines.”

When asked once more if Iran would send a delegation to Islamabad, Azizi replied that it would depend on whether Tehran got encouraging signals from the United States.

He declared, “We have never feared the principle of negotiation.”

“If the American negotiating team and the messages received from Iran indicate a positive signal, we may consider it today or tomorrow after further assessment.”